Confronting and masterful

Rating: 10/10 (3 October 2019)

I did not know what to expect from this film but what I walked away with was an appreciation of the master of his craft that is Joaquin Phoenix. His gradual metamorphosis into a man disconnected and disassociated with society and its norms is quite simply brilliant. No other actor could have performed this role so well. He is mesmerising. The story is riveting and confronting. The city of Gotham, covered in rubbish and rats is a powerful metaphor for the decay of society and its civility. It is represented as cruel, cold, and degenerating into chaos. There is no reprieve, no hero to save the day. We are exposed to our real selves otherwise hidden by the mask worn by Arthur Fleck. The script, cinematography and score are sublime but Phoenix is the star of this film and must win an Oscar for this role. There is no performance in recent times that compares to it.