“Got any jokes for us today, Fleck?”
That’s a question asked frequently in Joker: Folie a Deux, the highly anticipated sequel to director/cowriter Todd Phillips’ take on the Clown Prince of Crime starring Joaquin Phoenix who won an Oscar for this very role.
I can say that this follow-up is certainly a disappointment compared to its predecessor, but I don’t think it’s an epic disaster. Still, given how successful the first film was at drawing me in, I expected something much more thoughtful and challenging. Instead we just get disorganized scenes that don’t add up to much.
Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck, a.k.a. Joker, who now resides in Arkham City Hospital and is awaiting his trial for the crimes he committed in the first film. He’s regularly abused by the guards, especially the head guard (Brendan Gleeson).
Arthur meets another patient named Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga) during a music therapy session. Together, the two instantly bond over their love of music and their deeply troubled upbringings in broken homes. She idolizes his psychotic audacity.
Catherine Keener plays Arthur’s attorney, who tries to persuade him that he has an identity disorder and that Arthur is not responsible for his actions but rather Joker is. The movie attempts to be a meditation on sensationalism here, as the media hounds Arthur at every corner while most of Gotham is in staunch support.
Folie a Deux, as the movie’s subtitle suggests, is French for shared madness, and that’s definitely the case when watching Phoenix and Gaga on screen. They have believable chemistry in their scenes, and quite a few of them work. They get to share some insights as to what led them down their twisted destinations, and maybe more of that would’ve been effective.
Now, let’s talk about the musical scenes. I don’t understand why this needed musical elements because most of them end up becoming distracting, lack any kind of focus, and are largely tonally inconsistent. For example, one scene has Arthur’s fellow inmates leading a rebellion of sorts while singing “When the Saints Go Marching In.” It’s designed to motivate the inmates but ends up being unintentionally funny.
On the bright side, a couple of the numbers are well-directed by Phillips and look great, thanks to cinematographer Lawrence Sher’s excellent lighting. However, songs like “What the World Needs Now Is Love” or “That’s Entertainment” are largely hit or miss.
I wasn’t sure if Joker warranted a sequel, but a sequel is inevitable when your film becomes the first R-rated film to gross $1 billion worldwide.
Approaching Joker’s story from a musical perspective is peculiar and turns this franchise into a joke.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for for some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality, and brief full nudity.)
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