One of the best acting performances I've ever seen.

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2019)

Phoenix is absolutely unstoppable in this film. I read somewhere that Jared Leto was upset not be called for this movie, so what! Who cares? Phoenix is on par with Heath Ledgers Joker performance but in a new and different movie.
People will always compare anyone who takes on the role of The Joker to Ledger, but I think with this performance that all changes (although Ledger is still the greatest in my opinion, but I prefer The Dark Knight as a movie). If my rating was for Phoenix alone, then it's easily a 10/10. The movie and performance really reminded me of Christian Bale in The Machinist, which is nicely apt considering we're talking about The Dark Knight himself. There are lots of moments in the film which really remind me of the Machinist, when you see it, you will know what I mean.
As for the movie itself, if it were a standalone film about someone who suffers a psychological break, then it's a 10/10, but the fact it's a film about the Joker, I have to mark the writing down slightly. There are moments in the film, especially with references to the Waynes that irritated me, specifically the way they portray Thomas Wayne, it just doesn't fit unfortunately. What the movie did well though was show how someone could suffer such a psychological break in a real world situation, given what we know about psychological profiling etc.
People have complained about the violence, and about the use of a Gary Glitter song (awkward), but for me this film strikes the right balance, and is well paced and exactly violent enough. I really loved this film, I just can't get past some of the artistic licence that was used with the character.
Movie 9/10 for that reason, Phoenix 10/10 and should get an Academy Award.