Review: Joker

Phoenix is excellent at capturing the Joker's transition from hapless schmuck to ascendent criminal mastermind.  Of note also are Beetz who gives a naturalistic performance as his love interest and De Niro's subtly sneering talk show host.   It's an impressionistic watch seeding just enough to fill in the gaps of Fleck's past and present insanity.

The overlapping story with the Wayne family was a touch on the nose for me.

Well made though it is, I can't see myself returning to it.  It's less uplifting than the comparable V for Vendetta and lacks the engaging central character of Taxi Driver - another possible source of inspiration.  But ultimately the Joker is just too toxic a personality to want to spend too much time with.

Verdict: Grim and grimy interpretation of the Joker's origins.