A psychotic twisted intense tale of a man named Arthur Fleck is how I would describe “Joker”. Is it a super hero movie? No. Is it a super villain movie? No. It’s a stand-alone movie about how a mentally ill deranged loner turns into a cold blooded killer. If the movies’ name was “Arthur”, would have been appropriate. This movie doesn’t really have any type of connection to “Batman” per se (even though there were a few sprinkles of a connection thrown in there for cheap thrills). For those looking to see this movie as an extension of the DC Comic movies, well, it’s not and it doesn’t try to be. Joaquin Phoenix played the role of his life (even though “Commodus” in the Gladiator for me is still his zenith). He was brilliant, and most of all, believable. And that was the scariest part. In a strange way you could empathize with his character yet despise him at the same time – that’s the genius of the role portrayed by Phoenix.

A question many have asked since the release of this movie is if it is suitable for kids. Answer is “NO” for two reasons. First one being obvious – it’s too disturbing and sadistic a movie for kids – this is a real bad guy – emphasis on “real”. Thanos as a villain probably killed more people but never do we hesitate to take our kids to watch the Avengers…why? Because Thanos isn’t real. Arthur Fleck is. Secondly – to be honest – kids just won’t like it. They might even get bored as this isn’t their type of “action” or “superhero” flick. It would be similar to taking your child to watch “Psycho”. Without divulging any major plot twists, the movie keeps you watching from start to finish. What keeps us engaged is the main character’s journey to the “very dark side” and what leads him to it. It’s a dark depressing story of an unemployed clown who gets mocked by society and then pays society back in the worst possible way. I also wouldn’t categorize this Joker as a pure “villain”. To be a villain, you need a hero. In the absence of a hero, like in this movie, the Joker takes on both roles. Therefore this movie does, in some sense, glorify his role. He is a hero to the downtrodden, forgotten, outcasts of Gotham….he is “draining the swamp”. A Robin Hood for the “bad guys”. For everyone else, he is a sociopath killer. So no one should go into watching this movie expecting any type of deep meaning message – it is what it is – a violent scary depiction of an extremely disturbed individual.

Side note: for those who have seen “Dark Knight”, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker was a totally different character. However, one has to admire the sheer brilliance of Heath Ledger’s Joker as it had such a profound impact despite the fact that the movie was centered around Batman with Ledger’s character garnering about 40% of screen time versus Joaquin Phoenix’s role which was not shared with anyone else except himself. Both Jokers were outstanding but pound for pound, I would tip my hat oh so slightly towards Heath’s Joker…but that’s just me. We have been lucky to have witnessed the trifecta of acting maestros of Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger and now Joaquin Phoenix suiting up for this coveted role.

Bottom Line: Did I love the movie – no. Did I love the acting – yes! And that’s what elevated this movie to the next level. Without Joaquin Phoenix, it would be an ordinary “fleck”, I mean flick…

Grade:4.5/5