A film to reflect on

Rating: 8/10 (6 October 2019)

Who enters this movie with a DC comics mindset might get disappointed, but in return they will get another type of adventure that can be just as rewarding if they let it in.
Joaquin Phoenix was given a role of a lifetime and he gave it all he could. The comparisons to Heath Ledger will be unavoidable but this performance stands on its own. His performance is brilliant at robbing the laughter from under you, leaving your emotions grasping for a solid ground that is just not there, forcing you unapologetically to the same psychological limbo of this character.
This is the descent of a man that has thought he hit rock bottom only to find out there is no bottom. Throughout the movie, as both his mind and his world falls out from him, he finally lets go and embraces what every Joker knows: its all a joke and there is no punchline.
I give it 8 out of 10 because the cinematography and music missed one too many opportunities to make this movie an eternal classic. So close. Maybe they were afraid to be too comedic in a film that wants to be taken seriously as a drama. It was a pity that the director did not fully embrace the chaotic and theatrical nature of the character. It begs the question: "why so serious..."
Overall, its a must see. A Joker that will burn into your thoughts and will make you think, very carefully, about who you want to send into darkness, because sometimes, they climb back out.