Joker (2019)

The Batman universe has come in so many forms in the past. But none so grounded, at the time, as Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. It was hard to imagine a more visceral take on the villains of Gotham and when Heath Ledger redefined the bat's ultimate archenemy he became the epitome of The Clown Prince Of Crime.

Now, with a brand new Batman film looming in the shadows, there's no better reason to tick off what I would call one of Joaquin Phoenix's best performances and one of 2019's most intense films. Pheonix plays Arthur, a failed party clown, who's seemingly destitute life is in disarray.

Director Todd Philips gritty vision is a world of abandonment on the screen. The world looks lived in - and I mean that in past-tense. The city, the buildings, the apartments...there's a real sense of relinquished responsibility and it mirrors our protagonist.

Which begs us an answer to this important question - something you may want to ask yourself when the credits roll. Is Arthur Fleck a protagonist or an antagonist?

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