Folie à Deux is nice, truly

I’m not the most important fan of Todd Phillip’s Joker. I feel it’s okay, nevertheless it’s nothing groundbreaking. Its complete shtick was executed higher within the Scorsese films that it so clearly owes a lot of its construction to. I additionally don’t suppose it was an excellent dive into the comedian guide character of the Joker. So imagine me once I say, I used to be by no means actually that excited by Joker: Folie à Deux.

Over time, director Phillips has reaffirmed my perception that he isn’t actually excited by adapting a comic book guide. And feedback from Phillips akin to, “I think Arthur would be in awe of the alpha male that is Batman. I really do. I think Arthur would look up and appreciate it,” didn’t actually make me any extra optimistic about this film.

However I can’t deny, once they introduced a sequel that might be a musical, I used to be instantly hooked. It appeared like the proper type of film to bounce off of and refute the whole lot I didn’t actually get pleasure from about Joker. And in some ways, I received my want with Joker: Folie à Deux.

Launch date, score, and runtime

Joker: Folie à Deux opens in theaters on October 4. Identical to its predecessor, Joker: Folie à Deux is rated R. Joker: Folie à Deux comprises sturdy language, sexual themes, depictions of violence, and plenty of smoking. I watched this film in common 2D, however it is usually out there in IMAX and 4DX.

What I appreciated about Joker: Folie à Deux

A wierd sequel with a robust message

Joker: Folie à Deux takes place not too lengthy after the occasions of 2019’s Joker. The film primarily follows the trial of Arthur Fleck and his budding romance with Gaga’s Harley Quinn, shortened to Lee in Joker: Folie à Deux. Gaga and Phoenix carry a stunning stage of chemistry with each other all through the movie, and the musical set items are good, if not a little bit too disjointed for their very own good.

At its core, Joker: Folie à Deux is a film about how a lot it sucks to be the Joker. From begin to end, this film completely tears down any semblance of “actually me” that Fleck might’ve carried within the first film. And that may be a good factor. Whereas the ending of the unique Joker feels far too content material to finish on a triumphant Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux feels far more like a splash of chilly water.

The Joker is a horrible particular person, and he’s a horrible particular person to be. Fleck is a product of abuse and years of systemic mistreatment. Somebody that has been that supremely let down by the world round them doesn’t are likely to emerge victorious once they lash out. Joker: Folie à Deux seeks to drill that concept deep into your head. All the things that might go dangerous for Fleck on this film does.

All through this film, Fleck continues to be alone and abused. His abuse is now by the hands of jail guards and his so-called followers. Although he has Lee, he’s nonetheless deeply alone on this film. Lee and his different followers will not be there for Fleck, they’re there for Joker. And the second Fleck totally rejects Joker on this film, the whole lot goes away. Fleck’s actions because the Joker within the first film in the end lead him to be extra susceptible and alone than he ever has been.

And what Joker: Folie à Deux does very heavy-handedly is present that if Fleck had truly confided within the folks that have been genuinely making an attempt to assist him, even when that meant confronting the worst elements of himself, issues in all probability would have been okay. Or, on the very least, higher than how they turned out. Unsurprisingly, Phoenix turns in one other stellar efficiency as Fleck. The grief you see the character undergo in Joker: Folie à Deux is palpable. There’s a really uncooked stage of emotion Phoenix shows inside this film that merely can’t be conveyed by phrases.

Reverse Phoenix, Gaga’s efficiency on this film can also be phenomenal. Although her screentime does really feel a little bit quick, particularly for a star as beloved as Gaga, she nonetheless does nice work within the time that she does have within the movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux additionally boasts an incredible supporting solid, with Brendan Gleeson delivering a strong efficiency as a nasty jail guard. Harry Lawtey additionally provides a enjoyable, if not one-sided efficiency as Harvey Dent.

Very like the primary movie, Joker: Folie à Deux has a haunting rating and leans closely on the Seventies aesthetic. Each of those features nonetheless really feel nice, and lend to a visually and audibly distinct film. As distinct as Joker and Joker: Folie à Deux really feel as movies, this stage of audio-visual concord helps to tie the 2 collectively.

What I didn’t like about Joker: Folie à Deux

Let’s be happy with musicals once more

Warner Bros.

There’s a lot fallacious with Joker: Folie à Deux. However, I don’t actually suppose any of it’s too damning. My largest gripe is the refusal on the advertising and marketing finish to name this film a musical. No, the characters aren’t singing in each scene. However, they do sing approach an excessive amount of to name this film “not a musical.” And it’s okay. I perceive that there are some folks that wouldn’t have seen this film in the event that they knew it was a musical getting into. Nevertheless, I’d argue {that a} shock musical is far more alienating. I’d additionally argue that the musical facet isn’t even essentially the most alienating a part of Joker: Folie à Deux.

As I touched on earlier, Joker: Folie à Deux goes out of its approach always to inform the viewers that the Joker sucks and that it is really terrible to be the Joker. Joker: Folie à Deux virtually feels ashamed of the primary film. And it’s an attention-grabbing feeling to grapple with. I personally loved that facet, however I can even see why it could be alienating to a big portion of viewers.

Joker: Folie à Deux additionally falls sufferer to one thing that’s develop into increasingly more widespread with comedian guide films within the final decade, which is placing issues within the trailer that aren’t within the film. This apply simply must cease. Essentially the most iconic shot of the trailers, the Joker and Harley stomping down the steps collectively, isn’t even within the film.

And with regards to comedian guide films, Joker: Folie à Deux feels downright ashamed to be a comic book guide film. Fleck remains to be not the Joker from the comedian books in any stretch of the creativeness. Fleck is a very distinctive character, and that’s wonderful. Nevertheless it feels jarring when the film tries fairly exhausting to present a principally correct background to Gaga’s tackle Harley Quinn.

In Joker: Folie à Deux, Lee is a psychology grad scholar named Harleen Quinzell. To this point, so good. She abandons her promising future for the prospect to fulfill and get near the Joker. Nonetheless, very stellar. However so far as sticking to the supply for Harley Quinn, that is the place the prepare stops. This film’s interpretation of Quinn is laughably dangerous when held as much as the excessive bar set by 2019’s Birds of Prey. Not that Gaga isn’t giving her all to this function. However, sadly, this function isn’t giving it is all to Gaga. Lee is a really uninspired tackle the character that feels much less like Harley Quinn and extra like clown-themed Ted Bundy fan.

There are different points abound as nicely, such because the film having roughly zero curiosity within the setting of Gotham, which is plainly simply New York Metropolis on this film. There’s additionally Harvey Dent, who’s a feisty, younger assistant DA on this film. Lawtey does his finest with the character, however that primarily simply means being a smug prosecutor that wishes Fleck sentenced to dying.

Identical to 2019’s Joker randomly throws in a scene close to the tip the place Thomas and Martha Wayne get shot, Joker: Folie à Deux goes out of its method to throw in a bit the place Dent will get half of his face burned. Joker and Joker: Folie à Deux’s aversion to the comedian books could be extra palatable with none scenes that really feel like they’re solely there to say, “wonderful, right here you go.”

And naturally, there are the musical numbers themselves. Gaga and Phoenix each give nice performances, however these musical set items really feel very half-baked at instances. Whereas I disagree with not advertising and marketing this film as a musical, I can even say that if I had anticipated a sure stage of musical high quality, I might’ve been dissatisfied.

Must you see Joker: Folie à Deux?

A minimum of as soon as, only for the sake of it

Warner Bros.

I whole-heartedly imagine that Joker: Folie à Deux is a movie value seeing. It’s an odd expertise that simply feels ashamed throughout. This film feels ashamed to be a musical, ashamed to be a comic book guide film, and most of all, it feels ashamed to be a sequel to Joker.

That disgrace permeates your complete watching expertise. For those who felt a tinge of sympathy or “actually me” whereas watching Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux goals to completely pulverize that feeling out of your physique on a molecular stage.

Joker: Folie à Deux clashes the route and performing of the primary film with a tonally reverse story. Joker appears like essentially the most triumphant film of all time in comparison with Joker: Folie à Deux. Whereas I do want that the advertising and marketing of this film had been upfront about Joker: Folie à Deux being a musical, I’m glad that the very defeatist nature of this film was left to be found in theaters. It’s a intestine punch in the easiest way potential.

And as unusual as the entire thing is, it compels me. I can’t say something lower than that I cherished this film. Joker: Folie à Deux is unusual, confused, and ashamed, however it’s hell-bent on saying one thing. Even when that one thing isn’t something that anybody ought to’ve needed to say. Joker: Folie à Deux is completely value your time, on the very least simply as soon as.