Phoenix's Acting and Phillips' directing stand out, the writing not so much

Rating: 9/10 (24 November 2019)

Well, this film was definitely better than I thought it would be. In terms of script and writing, it is extremely weak and is an excuse to make Arthur start losing his mind to becoming Joker. However, it's the directing and acting that carry this film. There are better reviewers that explain this better, but in summary
Writing:6/10
Music:8/10
Directing:8/10
Acting:9/10
Overall:7/10
Joaquin Phoenix gives his best performance to date in this film, and that is honestly the only reason why one should watch this film as it does not disappoint in that area. If you're looking for good writing, look somewhere else. In summary, it felt the writers were looking for iconic moments in the film rather than a good story, kind of similar to The Last Jedi. There were iconic moments throughout out the film, but the film as a whole couldn't match those certain scenes. Ex. Hospital scene where Arthur entertains the kids, Subway scene, Bathroom Dance, Joker's Girlfriend not being real, Joker killing his mom, Descending down the stairway (descending downward to crime), Murray Franklin's Last Show etc.
In my opinion, this film is a better origin story than most, though it falters in writing, it makes it up in directing and acting.
Overall, I do recommend this film for Phoenix's performance as Joker, which is way better than Leto's acting. Compared to Ledger, these two are equally as great as Joker.