Yesterday early evening I bumped into a friend as I was walking through the Grassmarket, “Are you okay?” I was asked – having just come out of an Imax screening of Joker I was feeling slightly on edge. In the rapidly falling dusk and the Saturday night revellers already roaming the streets, it felt kinda Gotham-y to my recovering senses. I’d forgotten so much of the film’s detail, and on Imax it’s all really, really in your face! (I only saw it on Imax because it was just one screening before the new Joker: Folie à Deux comes out) I think my face was still feeling it and showing as such.

Joker is brilliant and disturbing; as the story unfolds it’s one bleak inevitability after another. There’s no hope that Arthur Fleck could ever live a happy, normal life; circumstances can get away from anyone and send the most level-headed into a tailspin, Arthur was hanging on by his fingertips at the start. I’m not sure the follow-up can match the tragic ferocity of it.

A few take-aways from it: those three guys were nasty, no doubt use to dishing it out physically as well as verbally to any poor soul they happened upon, without any consequences, they had it coming; I’m not 100% convinced that Thomas Wayne hadn’t manipulated things way back (a single, disturbed young woman being allowed to adopt a child?), he sure didn’t come across as a pleasant chap, neither did Murray Franklin; don’t stop taking your meds.

Mind, when it comes to dishing it out, Ian McKellen in The Critic is a master. He enjoys the power of his pen, considers himself untouchable and will happily use anyone to keep it that way. Poor Nina Land, played by the wonderful Gemma Arterton, really should have walked away from the deal, but her desire to make it as an actress was just the right-sized cog for Jimmy Erskine’s (McKellan) vengeful mechanisms. The Critic is a fine period drama, great performances by all; just one slight criticism that the last quarter felt overstuffed, like they ran out of screentime, five more minutes might have kept a better pace?

It’s Elisabeth Sprinkles desire to keep her fame that lands Demi Moore in trouble. The Substance offers Elisabeth, an aging fitness star, the chance to be young again, how can she refuse? This is American TV, she won’t refuse, the studio are already planning to replace her for someone with a younger, fresher body. Kudos to Demi Moore for taking this role, things get really ugly and she goes for it, well, she’s probably come across plenty of sexist, ageist attitudes to help goad her performance.

The Substance causes cells to replicate, resulting in a younger better version emerging from the back of the origin body, but, very importantly, the two bodies are still one person, they must take turn about and follow all the necessary procedures. Ha, the young version, Sue, gets greedy and wants more time – remember what happened in Gremlins when Billy didn’t follow procedure with Gizmo? This is a great cautionary tale on the cult of youth and beauty, and the price paid for it. The third act, as it were, is where everything ratchets to level 10, oh, it’s all magnificently grotesque; shades of the wonderfully bizarre films made in the eighties, it goes there! Trust me, this would have been permanently out on loan at Blockbusters.

From fantasy horror to real horrors, I went to see Lee starring Kate Winslet as Lee Miller, the American photo journalist, who despite much male opposition was able to make it all the way to the front line in World War II to report the truth of life there; she was one of the first war correspondents to enter Dachau after it’s liberation. Lee Miller had quite a life, she was briefly a model, became a muse to Man Ray in Paris, before making her own way as a photographer in America. The film begins after Lee returned to Paris in 1937.

As I was watching the film I realised I’d read about her a few years ago, in a book I was lent, The Lives of the Muses by Francine Prose, a fascinating read of mini-biographies about nine women. From this, I realised the identity of the man interviewing Lee in the film, a bit of poignant licence. Kate Winslet has put a lot into getting this film made, after being given a book about Lee back some fifteen years ago. Lee is a great film, a fascinating look at an extraordinary but flawed female, thank you Kate.

One last word, on another extraordinary lady, Maggie Smith passed away this week. A national treasure, she’ll be fondly for so many great roles over the years. Personally, I can’t help wondering what the Dowager Countess of Grantham would say about all the accolades over the last few days!

Goodnight, sleep well.