'Joker: Folie a Deux' Review: A Bold, Frustrating Sequel
After making a billion dollar splash at the worldwide box office in 2019, director todd phillips and star joaquin Phoenix have returned to gotham with Joker: Folie a Deux, a sequel that is as bold as it is incredibly frustrating.
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is facing the consequences of his murderous actions following the events of the first Joker film, living in Arkham Asylum as he awaits trial for his crimes. Fortunately, there is a light in the darkness in the form of Lee (Lady Gaga), a fellow patient who he falls madly in love with, turning his life upside down as he possibly faces the death penalty. Not only does this sequel continue Fleck’s dark, dour journey, but it’s also a musical filled with numerous song and dance numbers as Lee and Arthur fall deeper and deeper in love with one another.
Phoenix and Phillips had a daunting task following up their largely successful first film which took the crown prince of crime into edgier and unexplored waters, echoing the work of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and King of Comedy. Fortunately, this isn’t a phoned in affair in any shape or form. Phoenix is once again superb in the lead role, easily reminding audiences why he took home the Oscar gold for his portrayal of Fleck in the first film. He plays every shade of Arthur wonderfully in this sequel, delving deeper in the character’s pathos and making him as vulnerable and unpredictable as ever. The actor is fully committed here, vacillating between Arthur and his Joker persona with effortless precision and nuance. Gaga is also fantastic here, elevating Lee off the page, making the character magnetic, charming, and ultimately terrifying throughout. The two have terrific chemistry, bringing out the best in one another whether it’s in the film’s colorful musical numbers or within the walls of Arkham.
It also helps that this sequel, even more so than its predecessor, looks absolutely stunning. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher is operating at the top of his game here, making every frame sumptuous and wholly enveloping. Whether it’s the dimly lit, claustrophobic corridors of Arkham, the fully-fledged musical numbers that take place within the minds of Arthur and Lee, or inside the court room of Arthur’s trial, the lighting is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly suited for this world and characters. Even when the film starts to feel sluggish, there is always something beautiful to take in on screen, cementing Sher as one of Hollywood’s finest cinematographers working today.
The musical numbers are also handled fairly well and are implemented organically into the story, each set piece an emotional extension of Arthur and Lee as their fantasy world becomes far more appealing than their real one. There are several musical numbers that serve as perfect punctuation points on great scenes between Arthur and Lee, adding to the film rather than subtracting from it. Phillips and Sher also aren’t afraid to utilize color throughout, cleverly juxtaposing the tasteless, depressing real world of Gotham with Arthur and Lee’s fantasy world, allowing color to bleed into the former as the duo continue their toxic love story.
The trial of Arthur Fleck is also very compelling to watch. These scenes not only allow Phoenix to bring out his Joker persona in lively, dark, and comedic ways, but also do wonders in fleshing out the character of Arthur as his lawyer tries to convince a jury that the “Joker” is an alternate persona of Arthur, not the man himself. It’s as fascinating as it is heartbreaking to watch as the man’s early traumatic life is shoved into the spotlight and poured out onto the courtroom floor. Arthur is certainly not a character to root for in such a trial, but Phoenix does a phenomenal job helping the audience understand what experiences and trauma could’ve shaped his poor choices and violent behavior.
However, the film suffers from quite a few issues. First and foremost, it spends far too much time on the music and singing than it does on Arthur’s trial and his character. While many of the musical numbers are beautifully shot, staged, and performed by Phoenix and Gaga, there are simply far too many of them in the film. Hearing them sing and dance eventually becomes exhausting as the musical numbers begin to bleed and blend into one another, feeling repetitive and overly long. There are several scenes in which any narrative momentum that the film was gaining was expunged by yet another musical number that didn’t add anything fresh or exciting to the story. When the film focuses on Arthur, the trial, and the core relationship between him and Lee, that’s when it works best and gains the most traction.
While Gaga’s performance is strong as Lee, the character is heavily underwritten here. The origin story of the character has largely been re-worked and sidestepped here, the seeds for a fascinating reimagining planted, but not watered. By the time the third act of the story rolls along, it feels as if the film forgot about Lee and ushered her into the background, a considerable misstep. As a result, the film’s ending feels emotionally muted because the way her arc is wrapped up feels like more of an afterthought than a natural, emotionally powerful conclusion.
The film clocks in at nearly two and half hours and the pacing is sluggish at best. The film moves as if its dragging a freight train behind it, never picking up speed or momentum when it should. If the film’s musical numbers were trimmed or if some of them were excised completely, the story could’ve flowed much better and could’ve had the opportunity to further explore far more compelling territory. Also, the film’s central messaging and ideas feel redundant after the first film. It’s views about the mental healthcare system, trauma, the monsters society can mold and shape, it all feels like ground that has been tread before and to much better effect. In short, it felt like this sequel had nothing new to say, making it feel like an epilogue more than anything else.
Joker: Folie a Deux is sure to divide fans of the original and those uninitiated, swinging for the fences with its bold musical numbers and significantly larger budget. It’s a passionately made, well-crafted and performed sequel, but one that doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor and is an extremely frustrating experience. It’s especially clear in this follow-up that Phillips never had any interest in embracing the source material of the beloved character and the world of Gotham. The real joke is that audiences thought he might.