A performance-driven isolating film.
read more
The wait is over. The sequel to Joker (2019) is finally here and we have thoughts.
Presented as a musical psychological thriller, Joker: Folie à Deux sees Arthur Fleck on trial for the crimes he committed five years prior. The film directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay co-written with Scott Silver, with Joaquin Phoenix reprising his role as the Joker with Lady Gaga joining the cast as his love interest Harley Quinn. Also starring Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Harry Lawtey; with Zazie Beetz reprising her role from the previous film.
Just to give audiences a taste of the disjointment they will endure for the next couple of hours or so, Folie à Deux opens with a vibrant Looney Tunes-esque animated sequence that is never explored again.
Cut to regular programming (read: live-action), we see Arthur Fleck in Arkham Asylum awaiting trial. His lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Keener), tells him her plans to argue that his Joker persona is responsible for the crimes he is incarcerated for. Arkham State Hospital guard Jackie Sullivan (Gleeson) volunteers Arthur for music therapy, more so for his own amusement but this is where we meet Lady Gaga’s Lee. Arthur and Lee bond almost instantaneously and we see the former – with a craving for love and affection – start to have more light in his eyes.
One day, Lee starts a fire as distraction for the pair to attempt an escape but get caught at the fences. Arthur is placed in solitary confinement while Lee tells him she is being released to avoid his influence.
Arthur’s lawyer tells him that Lee had voluntarily committed herself to Arkham, contradicting her claim of being sent there for burning down her parents’ building. Lee tells Arthur she is pregnant when he confronts her for the truth. Choosing to believe Lee, Arthur (with his Joker persona seemingly taking charge) fires his lawyer and chooses to represent himself instead.
Arthur shows up for trial dressed as Joker, fuelled by Lee and his fans. He makes a derogatory claim of the Arkham guards that results in Arthur being severely beaten and abused by them when he returns to the asylum. In his closing argument the following day, a traumatised Arthur denies having a separate Joker persona, taking full responsibility for his actions.
For a fleeting moment, it almost seemed as if Phillips set his version of Harley Quinn up to be more than just a love interest. Is she truly a pyromaniac? Is she a pathological liar? But he halts any further exploration of the character when she instantly loses interest the moment Arthur denounces Joker, disallowing the character to be anything more beyond being yet another one of Joker’s cultists. It all seems a waste of the ever-enigmatic Gaga who is instantly magnetic from the moment we see her lock eyes with Phoenix’s Arthur. It’s easy to forget this is only her third major acting role though it would come to no surprise to anyone who saw her shed her away the Lady Gaga the world knows her for in 2018’s A Star Is Born. Her ability to hold her own against seasoned actors like she did with Bradley Cooper and now Joaquin Phoenix is only a further testament to her prowess.
Phoenix is ever-committed to his award-winning role, giving viewers yet another tortured take as Arthur and an invigorating Joker. His performance is all the more enhanced not only by Gaga but also some really sublime work from the supporting cast.
Lawtey (known for his role in the drama series Industry) does a brilliant job as young and smug Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent while Gleeson is as terrifying as he is charming as the brutish Sullivan, but it's Keener’s Maryanne Stewart who is perhaps the true hero of this story, seemingly the only one sane enough to recognise mental illness and not use it as a weapon.
Performances aside, the technical aspects of this sequel is where the film truly shines. Hildur Guðnadóttir, who earned her first Oscar for her work on Joker, returns to contribute a harrowing and encompassing score.
The attention to detail of production design bringing to life a gritty 80s Gotham perfectly lends to stunning visuals by cinematograher Lawrence Sher. There are many shots of impeccable blocking and lighting that will live in our heads rent-free for a long time but is having style over substance be enough for this sequel to stand the test of time?
As someone who expresses themselves through song lyrics and movie quotes, the musical moments were a relatable take but it seems the execution definitely needed more refining. The way they were peppered jarringly throughout the film more disjoints than cohesively bring the film together.
It’s hard to decipher Phillips’ true intentions with his latest offering. A comic book film is not necessarily a musical lover’s first pick, nor is this the usual fare genre fans flock to the cinemas for. And while it may share similarities with its predecessor, the overall output seems more like a test to discern poseurs from those who claim to love his first film rather than give them something to celebrate so, who is Folie à Deux really for?
The best advise is to go in with an open mind and not expect Joker: Folie à Deux to hold up to its predecessor’s success and you might just find it to be your thing.
read less