DC's masterpiece. Although a huge risk for the studio -- it paid of. A lot.

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2019)

I had the chance of seeing a screening of Joker at the Venice Film Festival last week. 'Joker' was easily one of the highlights of the festival thanks to Joaquin Phoenix's breathtaking performance and Todd Phillips' clever directing.
Although the movie consists of an amazing supporting cast, you mostly watch the movie through Arthur's (Joker's) lenses. Arthur is present in every scene of the movie, ala taxi drive. The movie clearly draws inspiration from Scorsese's 80s work (most notably from Taxi Driver and King Of Comedy. There's a lot of nods and easter eggs for the fans of those two movies). The gotham city we see in this movie is the most corrupt version to date, which is to be expected when our beloved caped crusader doesn't exist. It's a nightmarish vision of New York where corruption, crime and chaos are the leading forces behind everything. The story takes clever twists and turns that will leave even the most hardcore and well-read DC fans with their jaws on the floor. I wish I could talk about them but I don't want to go into spoilers. As for Joaquin Phoenix's performance as the clown prince of crime, there's really not much to say that you haven't read already. Phoenix literally transforms into both the role of Arthur Fleck and the Joker, giving us a super realistic and groundbreaking performance that even the Oscars cant snob. Joker is a strong contender for best picture.
This movie is a must watch for both comic book and drama fans alike. It's a deep character study of a mentally ill man slowly sinking into madness that shouldn't be overlooked by anyone.
Overall, this movie gets a 10/10 from me. I cant wait to see more small budget comic book movies about other DC villains (or heroes!).