100% a 5 stars out of 5 movie and WILL win Joaquin Phoenix his first Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar as well as nominations in Best Original Screenplay, Best Costumes, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Frances Conroy and more. This is in my opinion the greatest super-villain comic book film of all-time, and quite frankly the most disturbing film I have ever seen. Keep reading...
"Joker" isn't the typical comic book film. Todd Phillips (Director of "The Hangover" series) came up with this as a one-picture standalone film to explain how the Joker became the Joker. He's not Jack Napier from Jack Nicholson's "Batman" nor Heath Ledger's from "The Dark Knight" nor Jared Leto's from "Suicide Squad." He's closer to Mark Hamil's from "Batman: The Animated Series," but even that's not exact. Joaquin IS Joker end of story.
His name is Arthur Fleck. Back in the mid-to-late 70's Arthur is a hired clown who gets beat up by strangers, fired for getting beat up, and lives with his ailing mother in a dingy two bedroom Gotham city apartment. Every day he checks the mail from a letter his mother sent to Thomas Wayne, her former employer. "Thomas will help us." She says, and he believes her. Gradually one HORRIBLE (not even bad) thing happens after another to Arthur. And you see the cracks of Joker start to pull Arthur apart and push him back together. By the end of the film you 100% can understand NOT AGREE with how ANYONE broken down by the system, society, and the people around them can go completely insane.
And this is why this movie is truly terrifying to me. After the movie I was driving home like WOW if I wasn't as strong of a person as I am, I too could be Joker. I too could let the things in my life break my spirit. This movie is almost a cautionary tale. It's insane.
My hopes is this film starts Joaquin's Joker into the DCU. It explains why Batman is casted so much younger. If this Joker encounters Robert Pattinson's Batman/Bruce Wayne I will 100% believe it.
I loved this film, but it messed me. I couldn't see it again. But bravo to Robert DeNiro and Zazie Beets for their supporting roles as well. Worth seeing once through though. Just be prepared to be blown away.