Joker (2019)

Hard to watch but masterfully acted by Joaquin Phoenix, the future villain, misunderstood and bullied, descends to madness. It's a good movie. Phoenix's congenitally deformed shoulder is to his advantage in this role, as Joker is skinny and bent.

Supporting cast includes Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, and many more, with welcome cameos by Marc Maron and Brian Tyree Henry.

Directed by Todd Phillips from a script by Scott Silver. Though it's obviously based on the Batman comic books, Batman isn't in it, but the child, Bruce Wayne, who grows up to be Batman, is. Music by Hildur Guðnadóttir (an Icelandic woman).

Last blogged: Phoenix for You Were Never Really Here, De Niro for Joy, Beetz for Deadpool 2, Conroy for No Pay, Nudity, Maron for Sleepwalk with Me, Henry for Widows, Phillips for The Hangover Part II. Silver was Oscar-nominated for co-writing The Fighter.

There was a rumor that this movie glorified gun violence. It does nothing of the sort, though it is violent. Here's an analysis.

Rated 69% critics and 89% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. We saw it October 11, 2019.

To my readers: This short version may be the new normal for babetteflix. I have over 20 movies in draft mode and will make an attempt to catch up on the writing without really slowing down on the watching!