Joaquin Phoenix-starrer Joker is solid in both its craft and storytelling but the violence is unsettling and leans dangerously close to being irresponsible.

Joaquin Phoenix is the embodiment of nervous, anorexic energy in his role. He just doesn’t act with his face — with or without the joker paint. He acts with his entire body, with its ribs sticking out, its back abnormally arched, its legs leaning away from him, its feet gliding from under him, its arms flailing about.

Joker is a great film, not because of what it provides, but because of what it withholds. It’s brave, beautiful, and bound to annoy some people. Expect Oscars.

This Portrait Of A Villain Leans On Joaquin Phoenix’s Astounding Brilliance…As a portrait of anxiety and nihilism stemming from poverty and systemic oppression, it is magnificent.

Disturbing and intense, yet undeniably brilliant, this may very well become the definitive origin tale of the Joker.

Joker is a statement on society and perspective. It claims everyone has their side of the story. Truth is the one you chose to believe in.

The Joker is a deeply unsettling social commentary on a ravaging class divide, as well as a warning sign for mental illness. It is not for everyone. But it will definitely bring about a lot of conversation.

All said and done, this movie is above and beyond any kind of reviews. Joaquin Phoenix levels up the bar set by Heath Ledger and the standard of touching the character of Joker is now at an all-time high. Recommended for that insane side of yours!

Joker is a sort of biopic of the main villain in the Batman series with Joaquin Phoenix striving for a believability that is so stark that it could almost make you squirm in your seats

It is clear that everyone involved in the film decided to make a movie so highbrow that it would create some buzz at the Oscars. To some extent, the intent works in the film’s favour, and Joker indeed is a worthwhile entertaining experience in the cinemas – if you ignore its problematic politics, juvenile messaging and cringe-inducing lack of subtlety.

Between the griminess of Lawrence Sher’s photography and Hildur Guðnadóttir sawing violins, Joker is impressively queasy for a studio film. Phoenix’s turn, too, is anti-beauty: greasy hair, twitchy manner, nails-on-blackboard laugh

Joaquin Phoenix shines in this dark tale…Joker is a dark and disturbing take on the origins of the DC villain

Phillips probably intended Joker’s social commentary to leave audiences with a lasting impression. Thankfully, its diluted and confused message is vastly overshadowed by an outstanding performance by Phoenix.

Joker is a chilling story of what happens when a cruel society forsakes people with mental illnesses and hands them weapons to hurt themselves and others. The message is clear when Fleck commits shocking acts of violence but the film becomes slightly irresponsible when it doesn’t involve the humane element in the discourse at all.

Joker is a blazing Joaquin Phoenix grinder. It is out-and-out Oscar bait. While satisfying on the acting and technical fronts, the where, why and how of pop culture’s most mythologised villain is deeply unsatisfying. Joker could do better than avenging just an impoverished, traumatic childhood.