Not a good film with its in principal rather decent evocation of New Hollywood textures and pacing constantly being derailed by, among other things, a terribly oomphy score and Phoenix`s one note power acting (the scenes with him and De Niro are interesting, though: film history repeating itself, first as tragedy, then as farce). Still, and not at all surprisingly, it`s not nearly as bad as the discourse surrounding it. To call JOKER a film about "incel culture" and male self-pity is not only wrong (there`s nothing in it that suggests that sex is a major hangup for Fleck), but feels curiously vile, because the one thing Phillips does rather well is evocing the experience of mental illness. Once again, the realization that woke film critics have less capability for empathy than the director of the HANGOVER films isn`t really surprising. Just depressing.