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Joker: Folie à Deux Feels Like a Movie for No One

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Joker: Folie à Deux Feels Like a Movie for No One

As a film critic who has spent decades immersed in the vibrant world of cinema, I must say that Todd Phillips’ latest offering, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” left me feeling more disheartened than delighted. Having been an ardent admirer of Joaquin Phoenix’s acting prowess, I was looking forward to seeing him reprise his role as the enigmatic Arthur Fleck. However, this sequel fell short of my expectations, much like a poorly mixed milkshake – all promise and no substance.

Folie à Deux” fails to match the impact of its predecessor, “Joker,” despite Todd Phillips’ attempt at a more subdued approach. The movie lacks energy and feels heavy, much like the character Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who appears just as gloomy as before. There are instances of violence, but it falls short in comparison to the original’s grim, nihilistic tone. Although the creators intended to present a serious movie that doesn’t aim to surpass its predecessor, the execution is lackluster and may leave viewers feeling uninterested, despite the admirable intentions behind the film.

In this new installment, the disturbed and multi-personality-disordered character Arthur Fleck, portrayed by Phoenix in ‘Joker’, is now detained in Arkham State Hospital’s maximum-security unit, awaiting trial for the six murders he committed. Looking dejected, thin, and weak, Arthur faithfully takes his daily medication to maintain some semblance of balance, making him a prime victim for the cruel guards, with Brendan Gleeson leading them in their sadistic behavior. A silver lining is that Arthur has a compassionate lawyer, Maryanne Stewart played by Catherine Keener. Additionally, he may find affection: during a rare outing through the hospital’s lesser-security ward, he captures the attention of a dejected patient in a worn cardigan. Recognizing him from the media coverage of his violent acts as Joker and a TV movie made about him, Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) develops feelings for him, offering hope in return. Later, back in his own grim hospital ward, he sings “For Once in My Life,” while the guards deride him.

The focus here is on Arthur’s vulnerability, and at first, Lee—later to become some version of the character known, in Batman lore, as Harley Quinn—seems truly drawn to his sweet, if cracked, naivete. Lee has been committed for setting fire to her parents’ apartment building. Now she’s setting Arthur’s heart aflame. They meet again when Arthur is invited to the minimum-security ward’s common room to watch Stanley Donen’s 1953 classic The Band Wagon with the other inmates. (It’s just one of a trillion movie references, from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg to Looney Tunes to Psycho, crammed into the movie like colored pegs in a Lite-Brite board.) But Lee becomes restless during the screening; she wants to get up to mischief. Arthur demurs, not wanting to leave before the movie’s big “That’s Entertainment!” number. This is the moment he ought to know, as we do, that Lee is all wrong for him: under no circumstances does one stop watching The Band Wagon midway through.

However, Lee manages to have her way after causing a disturbance by burning the hospital’s common room piano. The two then escape for a brief moment of liberty before they are brought back. At this stage, Arthur becomes captivated. He imagines vibrant song-and-dance sequences featuring Lee, where they dance extravagantly – in these dreams, he is always the Joker, never Arthur. A 1970s variety show-esque number sees them singing a duet to the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”; another dream has Arthur-as-Joker performing an eccentric tap dance routine. Although Phillips has attempted to distance himself from the musical genre for several years before its release, Folie à Deux remains a certified musical, likely due to his awareness of the numerous individuals who dislike musicals, particularly those who prefer films based on comic books, and his desire to avoid alienating them.

Joker: Folie à Deux Feels Like a Movie for No One

He didn’t need to fret. The musical numbers in “Folie à Deux,” especially those vivid fantasy scenes, are the film’s most vibrant aspect, but they aren’t enough to break it out of its gloomy rhythm. Mostly set in dreary Arkham and a grand courtroom, there’s plenty of Arthur and very little Joker. Director Phillips seems intent on emphasizing that the world doesn’t embrace Arthur Fleck; instead, it adores the chaotic, violent clown who, in “Joker,” killed a mocking talk-show host live on air. It appears that even Lee shares this preference for the Joker over Arthur. If the first film portrayed Arthur as a shy, awkward outcast shunned by women, now he’s being manipulated by one. This is the perfect realization of an incel’s perspective on women: they are adversaries, plain and simple.

The ending of Joker: Folie à Deux left me feeling a bit disheartened, especially considering how much fans have been anticipating it. I didn’t care for the original film, but this is what they were eagerly waiting for all these years? Lady Gaga seems to come alive during the musical scenes, as one might expect. However, she appears strangely subdued most of the time. When asked about her affection for the troubled character Arthur, Lee replies in a somewhat disconcerting manner, “He’s not sick, he’s perfect.” It’s disappointing to see such talented performers like Lady Gaga being limited by dialogue that doesn’t fully capture their potential.

Joker: Folie à Deux Feels Like a Movie for No One

At least Phoenix boasts a more substantial arsenal. With his recessed eye sockets and sharp jawline, he bears an uncanny resemblance to a mix of Rod Serling, young Johnny Cash, and clean-shaven Abraham Lincoln. Interestingly, Phoenix has portrayed one of these characters before, in James Mangold’s 2005 biopic “Walk the Line”; it was one of his most outstanding performances. Known for his insightful acting, Phoenix isn’t shy about veering off into quirky territories. Movies like Mike Mills’s “C’mon C’mon”, Jacques Audiard’s “The Sisters Brothers”, Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here”, Gus van Sant’s “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot”, and several collaborations with James Gray, including the cross-cultural romance “Two Lovers” – Phoenix has delivered remarkable performances in a wide array of films, some of which have regrettably gone unnoticed. Even in Ridley Scott’s absurdly extravagant “Napoleon”, he gives a commendable portrayal of a partially factual, partly fantastical Bonaparte, a brilliant military strategist who turns into a babbling simpleton when with his beloved Josephine.

In my cinematic journey, just as he did in the previous film, Phoenix underwent an intense transformation, shedding approximately 50 pounds to embody Arthur. Multiple times, we witness him bare-chested, his spine protruding sharply like misshapen military insignia. It feels less like dedication than excessive effort. (It’s been publicly acknowledged that the weight loss was tougher on his body this time due to strenuous dance practices. He’s also humorously admitted that such rapid weight loss isn’t ideal for someone approaching 50.) As Arthur, Phoenix portrays a pitiful character authentically; as the Joker, he delivers performances predictably flamboyant. The movie offers nothing novel or captivating about Phoenix’s performance, yet it seems less his fault. If you derived pleasure, even a twisted kind, from the Joker’s depraved actions in Joker, you’ll find the scenes in Folie à Deux sparse and far less fulfilling. With Folie à Deux, Phillips provides a sobering follow-up that essentially penalizes viewers for appreciating the volatile spirit of the first film. It’s more a corrective than a sequel, akin to a ‘Go Directly to Jail’ card in cinematic form.

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2024-10-04 17:06

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