This will go down alongside Taxi Driver and Goodfellas as one of Scorsese's greatest works

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2019)

What more can be said about this film than has already been said? I could very easily say this film is a masterpiece and leave it at that, but I believe such an action would be a disservice to this film.
When the film was first announced, I was initially skeptical about the idea of having a Batman-universe film without Batman: FOX had already come up with 'Gotham'; the end result of which ultimately did integrate a Batman origin story into its plot, thus leaving it to 'Joker' to be the first to accomplish this goal. That, coupled with the high expectations of Phoenix's performance following the late Heath Ledger's iconic interpretation and the less-than-stellar performance from Jared Leto in 2016's 'Suicide Squad', were enough to worry me about how this film would portray a Joker origin. In hindsight, I needn't have been worried.
Joaquin Phoenix's performance is without a doubt Oscar-worthy. His ability to guide the audience towards feeling sympathetic to the character of Arthur Fleck while simultaneously horrifying the viewers with the atrocities committed by the deeply flawed protagonist. However it is the slow deterioration from a deranged man into depraved one that is most unsettling. As someone who rarely feels the overwhelming sense of anticipation during films like Joker that others seem to feel, this film was an exception. Two scenes that stood out for this were (SPOILERS) Fleck's brutal killing of Randall, and the uncomfortably suspenseful Murray Franklin interview at the film's climax. It was at these points that the unpredictability of the Joker became immensely terrifying, as the audience lost the ability to guess what would happen. It was these moments that perfectly encapsulated what the character of the Joker was about - unpredictability.
The cinematography and soundtrack were equally magnificent, perfectly reflecting and complementing the performances of the actors on screen. Todd Phillips' script was marvellous, contrasting the realistic depictions of Arthur Fleck's mundane, depressed life with the surreal caricature of anarchy that he became when he donned the Joker makeup in the last act of the film. The unreliability of Fleck's narration was depicted clearly through the infrequent-but-impactful shifts in reality (for example, when it was revealed that Fleck's relationship with Sophie Dumond was merely a figment of his imagination), thus leaving the audience ever wondering what was actually 'real'. This questioning was furthered through Phillips' artistic direction, drawing ambiguity in certain scenarios that unfolded (such as the shot following Fleck out of Sophie's apartment, which led the audience to believe that he killed her, though it was not explicit), which is also a remarkable move.
My only complaint about the film is regarding the (in my opinion) unnecessary inclusion of Bruce Wayne, and the setup of his transformation into Batman. Although before the film's release I was concerned that this would not be included, the film would have worked equally well - if not better - without Bruce Wayne, making me think his inclusion was a last-minute decision; he was only in two scenes, after all. However, this is certainly not enough to detract from the masterful execution of almost every other aspect of the film.
I don't often give a film a 10/10 review, as such a grade should only be awarded to the greatest of the great, in my opinion. It is for this exact reason that I have given this film 10/10, and there is no doubt in my mind that the Golden Lion won by the film at the Venice Film Festival will not be the last accolade it receives, and I eagerly anticipate the 2020 Oscars.