Amazing performance but light on depth and substance

Rating: 8/10 (5 October 2019)

Amazing and thought provoking movie with a remarkable performance from Joaquin Phoenix, I was completely transfixed at certain points.
The absolute tragedy and spiral to the depths of despair of the main character were portrayed brilliantly leaving me overwhelmed with sadness and even empathy despite knowing I 'should' despise him.
The movie is beautifully shot, with a brilliant soundtrack - a real feast for the eyes and ears.
The De Niro casting was inspired, with many nods to Taxi Driver and King of Comedy.
The issues for me were around lack of development and depth of the supporting characters and plot from a fairly weak screenplay for the first hour or so.
It seemed the directors goal was often about setting up set pieces for Pheonix's (amazing) performance but that came at the expense of the overall breadth and depth of the narrative.
Definitely worth seeing, I left feeling astonished and impressed at what I had witnessed but ultimately slightly less than fulfilled.