The manic REAL meaning of the Joker’s ‘Folie a Deux’ title revealed

The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of cinema, I must say that the recent turn of events surrounding the Joker sequel leaves me rather bewildered. The original was a masterpiece, a gritty and gripping tale that sent shockwaves through the film industry. However, this musical spin-off seems to have missed the mark entirely.


Folie À Deux,” featuring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, might not have been a hit financially, but the title suits it perfectly as it encapsulates the film’s enigmatic yet whimsical atmosphere.

Folie À Deux directly translates to madness for two. 

This phrase can be rephrased as: It refers to the shared occurrence of similar delusional beliefs among people who are closely connected. (According to Merriam-Webster)

Although the title is quite witty, some viewers may find themselves puzzled rather than amused by the movie’s content.

The latest superhero film received the poorest CinemaScore yet for a comic book adaptation, struggling significantly during its debut at the box office.

The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed

The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed

On Friday, October 4, the psychologically intense musical thriller was unveiled in cinemas, yet it garnered a domestic box office collection of just $20 million according to The Hollywood Reporter, with some critics labeling it as ‘gloomy’ and ‘underwhelming’.

In the sequel, Joaquin once again played the Joker, a role that won him an Oscar in the 2019 movie. Meanwhile, Gaga assumed the character of Harleen Lee Quinzel, who is known as Harley Quinn.

Instead of saying “However, Joker: Folie À Deux has been given a D rating on CinemaScore – the lowest score for a comic book movie at the time of writing,” you could rephrase it as “At the time of writing, Joker: Folie À Deux received the lowest CinemaScore rating, a D.” This version maintains the original meaning while providing a more natural and easier-to-read sentence structure.

Despite having underperformed in cinemas earlier this year, garnering negative criticisms, Madame Web still manages to secure a grade of C+.

Currently, the film on Rotten Tomatoes has an audience approval rating of 31 out of 100, while critics have given it a score of 33 out of 100.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s anticipated that the upcoming movie will earn under $50 million at the U.S. box office over its entire opening weekend.

Initially, it was anticipated that the film would earn approximately $70 million. However, that figure has significantly decreased since then.

In its initial theater release, Joker (2019) grossed an impressive $96.2 million, and ultimately amassed approximately $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed

Initially, the film, overseen by director Todd Phillips, had a production budget ranging from 55 to 70 million dollars. In contrast, the budget for the subsequent movie titled “Folie À Deux” escalated approximately to 200 million dollars.

2019’s film was highly appreciated by both critics and viewers, earning them rave reviews, and even taking home the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.

Joaquin won the Oscar for Best Actor, which he earned for his performance as the Joker (Arthur Fleck), while the movie also received another Academy Award for its exceptional original score.

The sequel also screened during the Venice International Film Festival last month in September, where it earned a 12-minute standing ovation, per Deadline.   

Since the movie was released in theaters on Friday, audiences have become fond of X afterwards, expressing their views about the sequel that includes musical elements.

1 Fan wrote, “Joaquin Phoenix shouldn’t have received this. What happened to the original script?” The other fan commented, “Is it that terrible?”, accompanied by a crying face emoji.

Interestingly enough, I think a musical adaptation, if skillfully executed, could have been quite fitting. It would effectively illustrate Fleck as an untrustworthy narrator.

‘But with some original songs, that keep everything vague, not just covers. Also when I heard of the ending I snorted fr.’ 

A social media user wrote, ‘Stop making sequels as musicals if the original wasn’t a musical.’ 

It’s possible that the movie Phillips made was just an hour-long film, so he inserted some random musical sequences to stretch the running time.

Let’s delve deeper into the fall of Joker, it’s quite intriguing,” someone suggested, accompanied by an image of a monkey gazing out a window.

As a devoted admirer, I couldn’t help but share my thoughts on the latest release of Joker 2. One spectator bluntly declared, “The movie was terrible; I had to leave the theater mid-viewing.” On the other hand, another enthusiast wrote, “After years of debate…*Joker 2 releases* Critics and audience finally agree.

The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed
The manic REAL meaning of the Joker's 'Folie a Deux' title revealed

One person commented that the current Rotten Tomatoes ratings were significantly lower than anticipated, stating that many viewers consider it the poorest sequel yet.

A fan explained, ‘yea this film was bad. it was pretentious and dull. has the aesthetic of an arthouse film without the substance.’ 

Not only was it disrespectful to the viewers’ intellect, but the music fell flat as well. It should never have been allowed to be shown in theaters.

One shared, ‘The audience that loved the first movie is not the same audience running to see musicals. This was a gigantic mistake from step 1.’ 

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Phillips shared his thoughts on the possibility of creating a third Joker film or a movie focusing on Gaga’s character.

For me, it seems this movie doesn’t align with its intended direction. I have a sense that my connection with the DC Universe is limited to those two specific films.

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2024-10-06 15:08

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