Overrated

Rating: 6/10 (12 October 2019)

The plot is really simple. All is centered around the main character who suffers from a medical condition and is in pain, never finds hope and then tipps into folly.
The structure of the movie resemble of the Hangover of the same Phillips : In both movies, characters are mired in their issues throughout the entire movie until the last minutes, and then there's a final climax.
If both movies share similarities, it also share some weaknesses which are the lack of plot and character development. There's not a real scenario, there's just a chain of events, lot of things are revealed and it gets crazier and crazier.
One thing that bother me is the unrealistic depiction of the wealthy characters : Traders and millionaires physically bullying people in the train or in public toilets... Yeah.
Aside from the bad writing, all the cast is really convincing. Phoenix truly stepped up for the role, has a large panel of emotions and is always convincing.
There's a bit of Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker when he has this warm amazed look on his face.
A main problem of the movie is that it makes viewers empathize with the character but his actions doesn't speak in his favour.
In fact, there's an escalation of gratuity in his murders that announce his quick descent into darkness :
At first, he kills three traders for physically attacking him. It can be characterized as disproportionated self-defense.
Second, he kills his adoptive mother because she lied to him since his childhood.
Third, he kills his colleague who lied and betrayed him to protect his job.
Fourth, he kills Franklin (the second parental figure he kills directly or indirectly, the third one being Thomas Wayne) because he made fun of him.
Finally, he kills the Arkham therapist for no apparent reason.
Talking about future, I can't see this Joker exists outside of a standalone movie. He doesn't have the abilities to become the criminal mastermind who will battle Batman.
Some few good points :
First one is cinematography. It's fair to say that it's the most realistic depiction of Gotham to date : colored people, callgirls, trash everywhere etc.
Second, music is OK. There's some notes that are clearly taken from the Nolan's Batman but it's rather a nice tribute.