Review: Joker: Folie à Deux – Down like a clown
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener
8/10
Despite feeling like a terrific standalone film, Joker made too much money to not be franchised, so Joker: Folie à Deux is upon us. Although this sequel at times feels like it’s just recapping the villainous events of the first film, it’s also refreshingly distinct enough from the first to feel at least aesthetically like a standalone film, all the while continuing the saga of our title character.
It starts off right where Joker left off, with Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) hauled up in Arkham Asylum, awaiting trial for the multiple murders he committed (one of which on live national television)—a death penalty seems likely.
But Arthur’s gloomy life suddenly blossoms when he’s allowed to mingle with another ward, where he meets Lee (Lady Gaga), aka Harley Quinn. She’s infatuated with this criminal who captivated Gotham, and the two rapscallions find a place within each other’s hearts, helped by a few musical numbers they share.
All sung by Phoenix and Gaga themselves, the songs are presented mostly in a grassroots manner. There’s some very cool design with the presentation of these musical numbers, but don’t expect any wildly choreographed dances: Phoenix and Gaga keep it simple, and even the singing is meant to be true to the characters by sounding raw rather than professional.
It’s audacious with how different Joker: Folie à Deux can feel to the first, still sharing the same solemn DNA at times but also infused with a whole new vibe of romance and musical whimsy. On the other hand, the mental asylum and courtroom moments just seem to be reiterating the events of the first film, making it feel like it’s looking back too much rather than forward. Fortunately, these courtroom scenes feature incredible Joker moments, where Arthur slips right into his performative alter ego; that’s often a blast to watch and often very funny.
A sequel to Joker seems justified with this film. Despite some of the storyline pitfalls (especially a promising third act that ends with a thin climax), it advances the title character from a deranged loner to a deranged lover. With this kind of attentive characterisation, housed in gorgeous production design, brilliantly gloomy cinematography, and a powerhouse actor at the helm, this makes Joker: Folie à Deux a winner, despite its few shortcomings.
DAVID MORGAN BROWN