Joker: Folie à Deux – Film Review
I didn’t think 2019’s Joker warranted a sequel and now I can confirm I was absolutely correct – the follow-up, Joker: Folie à Deux, is completely pointless and unnecessary.
Following the events of the first film, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is institutionalised in Arkham State Hospital while he awaits trial for multiple murders. For his defence, his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), argues that it was the Joker who committed those crimes and Fleck is not responsible, whereas the assistant district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) insists Joker and Fleck are one and the same. During his time at Arkham, Fleck meets patient Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel (Lady Gaga) and they fall madly in love.
You wouldn’t expect a musical Joker movie to be boring but this remarkably is. I don’t know how director/co-writer Todd Phillips managed such a feat. This film is dull, slow and emotionally and narratively empty, making it a slog to get through, particularly as it is 2 hours and 18 minutes long for no legitimate reason. There is so little meat on its bones that it made me wonder if the musical elements were added in simply to pad it out.
Some of the musical numbers were good – I liked the Joker & Harley TV show sequence (think Sonny and Cher’s 1970s variety programme) as well as the Joker Is Me courtroom performance – but a lot of them were boring, slowed-down standards. I love musicals and thought these sequences would be the highlight (especially with Gaga involved) but they weren’t executed super well and felt at odds with the film’s dark and serious tone.
Phoenix won the Best Actor Oscar for playing Fleck the first time and he still does a terrific job here as the dark and disturbed character. His performance cannot be denied and it’s a shame it’s in a movie that cannot meet his level. It’s a daunting task singing live alongside Gaga but he gamely throws himself into those sequences.
Gaga is woefully underused here. She is doing really interesting work and is captivating on screen. Her Harley Quinn is very different to what we’re used to – she is more grounded and dangerously infatuated with the Joker. Why cast the Lady Gaga as the Harley Quinn and then give her so little to do?! Make it make sense.
Joker: Folie a Deux (which means madness for two) is a classic case of style over substance. The two strong leads can’t save the aimless, stop-start story, which is basically just a debrief on what happened the first time around. Hard pass.
In cinemas from Friday 4th October