Joker (2019)

Joker (2019)
Directed by Todd Phillips
Written by Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy

I have been eagerly awaiting this movie for some time now. Finally watched it yesterday. And what a movie it was! Joaquin Phoenix has given a wonderful performance as the infamous, murderous and mentally imbalanced 'Joker'. As soon as the movie starts, we are swept into a disturbing journey through the mind of Arthur Fleck wherein we get a dose of his pain, his anger, his rage, his helplessness and finally his insanity... No wonder Joaquin Phoenix won the Best Actor Award at the 92nd Academy Awards.

So here is the plot outline. Arthur Fleck, a party clown, lives with his mother at Gotham City; a city not going through the best of times. He dreams of becoming a successful stand-up comedian but has never been able to reach this goal. Arthur is depressed, often bullied and beaten up by goons. He just puts up with it silently. What is more, he suffers from a condition that makes him laugh at inopportune times, gaining the ill- will of those around him. He depends on several medications to try and lead a normal life. He tries to reach out to the social worker, who barely listens to him. And then one day on the subway something happens which accelerates his inevitable fall to insanity...