The metamorphosis is complete. Wow!

Rating: 9/10 (5 October 2019)

This is a real character study of mental illness and the breakdown of society. The grimy, washed out city scapes depict a Gotham on the brink of turmoil, and this doesn't disappoint. The first half feels like you're watching a black and white flick before the second half's colourful burst. Joaquin Phoenix is superb. You feel his pain and growing insanity, and see - feel - through his eyes the blurring of his reality and fantasy following some scenes in which the audience feels the same.
At the same time this is a cleverly woven tale of sadness, deceit and lies. Any comparisons to Heath Ledger and The Dark Knight should be forgotten - these are two completely different movies that both serve their respective characters well.
However, as a stand-alone origin tale this is filmmaking at its best. The cinematography and photography gives Gotham the 'angry melting pot about to overflow' theme the treatment it deserves. The mixture of anarchy, anger, wrongdoing and politics feel strangely familiar in a society where the downtrodden are forgotten and left to fester.
As said, Phoenix is superb. With a great supporting cast as Robert De Niro's smarmy talk show host and Brett Cullen's arrogant and spiteful Thomas Wayne, they only add to the powerful upper echelons of society.
At two hours, Todd Phillips' film kept me engrossed, smiling and sad. The film's set pieces were nicely staged and the time flew by. People will be discussing this movie for a long time! cb