Phoenix does it again..

Rating: 10/10 (2 November 2019)

I was initially sold on on its very first trailer, where I instantly realised that Phoenix's portrayal of Joker's humble beginnings would be another exemplary performance to add to his already prestigious filmography.
Now after seeing the movie in full, my assumptions are confirmed.
This was a perfect example of how villains are made. How a history of abuse, trauma and neglect has resulted in a mental illness that has left our protagonist to function as a lonely awkward outsider on the fringes of society.
Most people in such a state are but a shadow of themselves, yet for men like Arthur, having hit rock bottom and awakening to the conclusion of having nothing left to lose, they set themselves free, allowing their alter ego to come out and play. And there's nothing quite as dangerous as a sharp and calculating man who has a few screws loose; loose enough to twist that moral code that most of us keep firmly intact.
Although pure perfection, for me, would have it ending 5mins earlier, as he stood on the bonnet of that cop car, amidst the rioting, practically praised as the prince of anarchy. Had the credits rolled right then, in my mind, figuratively speaking, I would have stood up and given an applause consisting of five full-blown claps (that's three claps more than I'm accustomed to giving).
I'm happy that this was the movie that the wife and I chose as our date-night outing. Last time we went to the cinema together was 7 months ago and were pretty disappointed with what we watched. But not this time. This time, we praised it all the way back home.