Perfection!

Rating: 10/10 (5 November 2019)

I was excited to see this film and I must admit that it exceeded my expectations by far! I can't say enough about how amazing Joaquin Phoenix is in this film. I just love and adore when an actor sinks their teeth into a role this deep. It's obvious he had a real passion for this character and he simply shined. I can't imagine another actor playing this character in this particular film.
I rarely rate films a ten especially these days. Film making has been absolutely horrible pretty much since we moved into the 21st century. That may sound harsh, but it's true. Film makers have lost their guts and their passion. This film is gritty and it's raw. It may sound strange to say, but it's beautiful. I actually found it liberating and I started to worry about myself for feeling that way, but this film makes you look at a lot of s***. We haven't come much further since 1981 in many aspects and that's really sad. The first act was extremely hard to watch. His struggle was real and so relatable. I was literally crying. The feels just didn't stop coming and when he finally took a stand and defended himself the audience was with him! I was with him. It felt like he was standing up for all of us with mental illnesses that people don't see or care about and guess what happens when those people with those mental illnesses are left untreated and they are ridiculed for something they can't control? He was standing up for the poor that can't get ahead or catch a break for s*** while the rich get richer. He was sick and tired of people laughing at him and using him for their jokes and he was done taking it.
I didn't applaud after the film ended like others in the theater, but it absolutely deserved every bit of applause it got. This film is fearless. The actors, the directors, the writers, the custume designers, etc all deserve awards. I actually can't wait to see it again! I can't say enough! Must see!