A Man's Decent Into Madness

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2019)

No, this is not the joker as you have seen him these past decades, it is what made him who he is - and at times, not a pleasant picture.
It has been sometime for films to finance and back character studies into "why". In the 70s, there were plenty of them, now its 2019, and here is one. It is Joaquin Phoenix's performance from frame one to the end. It's dark, you'll laugh, you'll possibly be shocked - but he keeps you engaged in his portrayal of the character, which in films like this, is of the utmost importance. It does take one back to that decade - all of it's color and darkness. And there is no need for an overkill in special effects and imagery. It's dreary, just like his life. But he becomes the epitome of what many have been holding back for years - and so, what will become.
I really appreciate this film because of that, as it does go back to a time before we got caught up in so much, we forget about the character itself, so know this is a character study of what we already know how it will turn out. So, why did I give the film an 8 instead of a 10? Well..I am a fan of the deep character development of ..Travis Bickle and...Randle McMurphy...and..Rupert Pupkin and for me there was a tad bit too much reference of them than an homage should be - but again, Joaquin Phoenix gives the best character performance for me since Gladiator and for a DC Comic Book character, one of the best without the 3 decades of cinematic bells and whistles .