MASTERPIECE

Rating: 10/10 (2 October 2019)

#FinalVerdict
Joker movie is a thunderous masterpiece! Can easily compete with the best comic book films of all time. The best movie of 2019 which belongs more in the Joaquin Phoenix Universe than the DC Universe.
In the media, director Todd Phillips's Joker movie has been frenetically celebrated and a possible Oscars 2020 blessing (otherwise unthinkable for a comic-based film) is speculated violently. Let me say it loud and clear: there is not a word of it exaggerated.
Joker movie is an "origin story", which tells how poor Arthur, nicknamed Happy by his mother, will become one of the most famous enemies of Batman. However, here there is no question of the Dark Knight, the story unfolds when Bruce Wayne is still a child.
Surprisingly, Joker movie is totally a drama. A hard drama, rough, bitter, in a sticky environment. An environment that does not help Arthur to adapt. Director/writer Todd Phillips & cowriter Scott Silver take time to present the characters, places and situations.
Joker movie is a work closer to auteur cinema. It's important to note that there's nothing wrong with this movie. Director Todd Phillips manages to infuse a very stylized colorful theme with the dark at the same time. It's bold, devastating & utterly beautiful.
The sombre staging tackles you from the first second, shaking you through for two hours and never letting go until the last second. Joker movie is a horror story, not the celebratory tale of an antihero. Joker is a game changer and plays in a league of his own.
The great soundtrack consists mainly of classics of the swing era (Frank Sinatra et al) and is an integral part of the plot. The congenial score of Hildur Gudnadottir amplifies the power of the images many times, so that every scene penetrates deep into the bone marrow.
Director Todd Phillips is a revelation at the helm and does the best directing job of his career with the twisted material, able to strike a tone that straddles stabs of bleak darkness, gasps of hope and pangs of inevitability. I doff my hat to you sir!
DOP Lawrence Sher's no-frills work to emphasize twisted, dark cityscapes, streets & nightmarish forms deserves a huge shout-out. With picture-perfect contrasts & color, sublime compositions, the rich and complex mise-en-scène succeeds in elevating the movie.
But all of this impressive, stylish construction wouldn't have worked without Joaquin Phoenix. He inhabits his role with a commitment that's magnetic in its unpredictability. His unbelievable performance will leave the most lasting impression on the audience. Robert De Niro - one of his best roles for a long time! Zazie Beetz is remarkable.
I left the cinema with lasting impressions & my mouth open. Beneath this gripping, bold, revisionist psychological thriller, Joker is the comic book villain we deserve right now.
Joker movie is a masterpiece! Its understanding doesn't cross the line into sympathy, as we're left watching a man who becomes less & less human as his tragedy unfolds. We repeatedly see him burst into laughter, but can never rule out whether he's actually crying.