THE STORY – Two years after the events of Joker (2019), Arthur Fleck, now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, falls in love with music therapist Lee. As the duo experiences musical madness through their shared delusions, Arthur’s followers start a movement to liberate him.
THE CAST – Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener & Zazie Beetz
THE TEAM – Todd Phillips (Director/Writer) & Scott Silver (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 138 Minutes
Whether you loved or hated Todd Phillips’ 2019 comic book drama “Joker,” there’s no denying it got people talking. The film, telling the disturbed life of Arthur Fleck, a failed comedian turned homicidal clown prince of Gotham, caused a stir among audiences due to its supposed violent influence and left many wondering if it would inspire real-life Arthur Flecks to emerge in our already fraught world. That ultimately didn’t happen, even if it left a bad taste in some people’s mouths. Instead, what did happen was it earned over $1 billion at the box office and won two Oscars, including for Joaquin Phoenix’s hypnotic and deranged performance. A sequel was practically begging to be made.
Now, the time has come for what’s sure to be another online firestorm regarding “Joker: Folie à Deux,” but not for the reasons you might think. Going in a whole new direction compared to its predecessor – full of musical numbers, although Phillips has stopped short of calling it a movie musical – this sequel is far more considerate and introspective than one would expect coming from a film that featured so many gruesome kills and muddled storytelling on its ultimate goals for society. Phoenix, once again, delivers another masterful performance, this time more controlled and restrained as he goes deeper into Arthur’s psyche and showcases his impressive vocals. At the same time, Lady Gaga gets to match his freak and take on a new, darker version of Harleen “Lee” Quinzel. By far the riskiest role the famous artist has taken on, she is extraordinary and lights up the screen with her deranged presence just as much as Phoenix did in the first film. Boosted by these two dynamic performances, remarkable cinematography and production design, not to mention Hildur Guðnadóttir’s profound score, “Joker: Folie à Deux” will surprise many people for its ingenuity, even if it does become a bit overindulgent.
Paying homage to its roots, this film begins with an amusing “Looney Tunes” cartoon of Joker titled “Me & My Shadow,” set to the tune of “What The World Needs Now Is Love” and foreshadowing the identity crisis that our anti-hero will face. Picking up after the events of the first film, in which Arthur killed six people, including talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), he is institutionalized at Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for his crimes. The typically brash and painfully unfunny inmate looks sullen and keeps to himself despite guard Jackie (Brendan Gleeson, who gets to show off his singing vocals as well) taunts him to make jokes. In this stark black and gray confined space, along with Icelandic cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir’s deep bass score, it’s hard to put on a happy face. Phoenix looks even skinnier here than in the first film as his shoulder bones and spine protrude from his skin, giving him a ghoulish, disturbing figure that perfectly matches the character.
It takes some time before he utters his first words of dialogue, but Arthur is very much a different man in this film than the first. Back then, he came alive as Joker, finally making sense of the chaotic world around him. Here, he’s not so sure if he really is Joker or if he suffers from multiple personality disorder, and it’s what his lawyer (Catherine Keener) and district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) intend to get to the bottom of in court. One thing that helps him on his identity journey is the music inside him. It’s the one thing that he remembers the night he killed Murray on live television, and he frequently gets lost in his own mind with imaginary song and dance numbers, during which he rediscovers his twisted self and shows off shades of his lunacy.
When he visits a new ward at Arkham, he meets Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, who is also more toned down compared to the wild and unpredictable Harley Quinn, most recently played by Margot Robbie in “The Suicide Squad” and “Birds of Prey.” Music takes on a new meaning for him as the two engage in a musical folie à deux (shared delusion), singing when words aren’t enough to express their feelings. Mostly, their musical numbers happen in the setting they’re in, such as when they’re running around Arkham to the tune of “That’s Entertainment!” after a movie night ends in a blaze. Other times, the numbers transcend space and time, and they find themselves in impeccably styled 1960s and 1970s outfits and sets. One heated performance of “To Love Somebody” takes place on the groovy set of The Joker & Harley Show, which looks very much inspired by “The Sonny & Cher Show.” The cinematography in many of these scenes is breathtaking, particularly as silhouettes are illuminated by overhead lighting. Together, Phoenix and Lady Gaga are cinematic dynamite, entirely going in on their character’s delusions and plans to “build a mountain” once Arthur is released, although there’s really no hope for that. It’s no surprise that Lady Gaga sounds excellent, getting many opportunities to belt out her signature voice, and Phoenix’s vocal skills (previously heard as Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line”) are able to rise to the challenge of matching her’s. There does come a point when the musical numbers become redundant and overused – even Arthur asks Lee if they can skip out on singing and have a normal conversation instead.
After standing by the sidelines for most of the film, Arthur reaches his breaking point, which is preceded by yet another passionate imaginary song sequence, and lets Joker fully come out for the world to see. Representing himself at the trial – easily a one-way ticket to the electric chair – he gets his confidence back. He acts like the hottest clown in town, allowing Phoenix to go all out with several accents as he questions former co-worker Gary Puddles (a very emotional appearance from Leigh Gill) on the witness stand. Soon, though, Arthur is left battered, causing him to question who he is, and his god-like persona with Lee and all his adoring fans is shattered. It’s a surprisingly far more mature storyline that Phillips and Scott Silver have crafted for this sequel, continuing to deliver something entirely new with the already exhausted comic book genre, and one which allows Phoenix to continue to make the character his own. It also provides an interesting commentary on the character’s legacy and what he leaves behind as the film ends with an eerie suggestion that there may be even more Joker madness to come. It is worth noting that die-hard fans of the first film may have some reservations about this story, which looks to course-correct some of the events and interpretations of the first film and its presentation, especially its musical direction, but it may also be a welcome surprise.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” does many things right to deliver a fresh and unique sequel to the dark story of Arthur Fleck. Phoenix and Lady Gaga are given the freedom to deliver far more nuanced versions of their iconic characters while also letting loose with the musical sequences, even if these scenes wear on the audience after a certain point. We’ll have to wait and see what the whole reaction to this particular film is like once it’s released in theaters in October, but if there’s one thing we can expect, it’ll get people talking as much, if not even more, than the first.
