We are living in an age of Hollywood sequels, prequels, mid-quels, remakes, reboots, and
alternate takes of popular stories. If a film proves successful, there is usually an attempt at
some point to make a sequel. There have been some really great sequels in cinematic history, such as The Godfather: Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Spider-Man 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Avengers: Endgame. Of course, there have been sequels that did not go over well and flopped, such as Exorcist III, Jaws: The Revenge, and Superman: The Quest for Peace.
This brings us to Joker Folie a Deux, the latest movie by director Todd Phillips. It is also the
sequel to 2019’s surprise hit Joker, which made over one billion dollars worldwide. The film
also earned actor Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In the wake of
the unprecedented success, talk of a sequel began to occur not long afterwards. Despite some initial reservations of Phoenix and Phillips, both decided to continue the story and map out plans for a follow-up movie.
Set two years after Joker (2019), the story enters around former comedian Arthur Fleck
(Joaquin Phoenix) being held in Arkham Asylum for the crimes he committed. The majority of the inmates view Arthur as an intriguing character, and some of the prison staff are affable and friendly towards him. Some of the guards, led by the jaded, cruel Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson), dislike Arthur and view him as a nutcase. Meanwhile, the justice system in Gotham City is planning to put Arthur on trial for the murders he’s known to have orchestrated, but the murder of his abusive mother is unknown to everyone. Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) aims to portray Arthur as a monster and get him sent to the electric chair. However, defence attorney Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener) believes Arthur is genuinely damaged from his traumatic childhood and upbringing at the hands of his mother, because she feels he suffers from dissociative identity disorder.
Enter one Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), a fellow inmate at Arkham. She’s being held for supposedly committing arson, which led to the death of her parents. More disquieting is her growing fixation on Arthur and her tendency to break out into song at odd intervals. During a music therapy class, the two meet and bond over their troubled backgrounds. Lee sets off a fire within Arkham, causing mass panic among the inmates. After a failed escape attempt, they realize a budding romance is taking shape and make love in a solitary confinement room. It becomes apparent to the viewer that Lee is just as disturbed as Arthur is, if not more so, and obsessed with the crimes that he committed in the previous film. Despite the obvious warning signs, Arthur finds himself to be increasingly smitten with Lee.
As Arthur’s trial begins, Lee is released from Arkham, and it is decided that she be kept away from Arthur. Maryanne is convinced that Lee is a really bad influence who could potentially ruin the defence’s case. On the prosecutor’s side, Harvey Dent aims to hammer home the idea of Arthur being dangerous by bringing in a string of former friends and acquaintances to demonstrate his point. Meanwhile, Lee has her own plans in mind to free Arthur, and they will put everybody in danger.
Joker Folie a Deux is frustrating to watch, because there are glimpses of a good movie buried within the story. The first film was about the dangers of society ignoring mental illness, as well as what happens when resources are taken away from those in need of help. Yet this film can’t seem to decide exactly what it wants to be. The plot is caught somewhere between a courtroom drama and a psychological musical thriller. As a result, both parts don’t mesh or fit well together. When dealing with the courtroom plot, there is a focus on why depraved individuals shouldn’t be hero-worshipped by the media or the public. Considering today’s society, this is a recurring thing that makes one question why the media gives attention to such people in the first place. Sadly, this is not explored further in depth.
Phillips’ choice to make this film a sequel is an odd one, and it does not serve the story well. Unlike classic movie musicals with perfectly-executed choreography, the lead characters burst out into song and with no set-up or really good context. It comes across as jarring and even confusing at times. Viewers quickly clue in to the fact that these sequences are done entirely within the characters’ minds, but once again, it. There are allusions to films like An American in Paris, Chicago, A Star Is Born, and La La Land, but these only serve as being weak attempts at paying homage to cinema.
Joaquin Phoenix returns to the role of Arthur. While it’s nice to see the actor onscreen again, the character comes off as plateauing and merely going through the motions. He does get a few moments of questioning his actions and wondering if he’s really Arthur or Joker, but this is not fully developed. Towards the end of the film, Phoenix has an interesting moment where he cuts through all the ridiculousness and tries to come clean. Sadly, this type of moment comes far and in between. It makes the viewer question as to whether or not the character even believes in his own hype or if he’s just bored out of his mind.
Lady Gaga proves her versatility as an actress and a performer. Having acted in films like A
Star Is Born and House of Gucci, she is able to hold her own opposite Phoenix. Gaga’s take on Lee is interesting, because she easily slides between fascinated and encouraging to downright manipulative. It is fascinating to see her go from a mere sycophant to a scheming individual with an agenda of her own. What’s more, one cannot help but wonder at times if the film is more interested in Lee rather than Arthur.
Harry Lawtey’s portrayal of Harvey Dent is an interesting one for the film. Unlike past versions of the man who will become known as Two-Face, there are no signs of mental-illness, no flipping a double-sided coin, and no suggestions of simmering rage. This youthful take on Dent is a more zealous, crusading public servant of the justice system, and he seems sincerely devoted to his job. Lawtey succeeds in making the character idealistic and driven in his pursuit of justice. One might argue that he’s a bit too eager to have the murder trial televised for the world to see, which makes the viewer question if he’s focused on upholding the law or looking good to the media. There is a brief allusion in the third act to his future, but it comes off more as token fan service than anything else.
The rest of the cast does well with what little material they’re given to work with. Catherine
Keener (Being John Malkovich, The 40 Year Old Virgin) gives an engaging, solid performance as Maryanne. She tries to do her job by the book while attempting to make sense of the abuse that her client has suffered for years. The actress makes this character come off as believable and professional, but the narrative sadly jettisons her character in the second half of the film. Zazie Beetz returns to reprise her role of Arthur’s former neighbour Sophie, and it is mostly to get answers as to how her character fared after the events of the first film. Leigh Gill is heart wrenching as Arthur’s old coworker Gary, who struggles with traumatic memories of what he witnessed Joker doing. Gleeson is mostly wasted as Jackie, and it is a shame the film does not explore more of how guarding incarcerated prisoners can wear a person down. Steve Coogan pops up as flashy TV news commentator Paddy Meyers, and he’s limited to being a sounding board for Arthur in a televised prison interview. Finally, Jacob Lofland has a small put pivotal role as young Arkham inmate and devoted Joker admirer Ricky, but his character is far into
spoilerific territory to go into any details.
Overall, Joker Folie a Deux is not successful as a film sequel or a musical. While Phoenix and Gaga do well with the material, both seem to be going through the motions whenever they’re acting or performing songs. The director’s choice to mash the crime thriller and musical genres is an odd, puzzling decision at best and a disappointing misfire at worst. It makes the viewer wonder if the studio was convinced anything to do with Joker would be a smash hit. Perhaps this is proof that too much overexposure of one character can be very excessive and detrimental. Maybe it is time to give the Joker a long-deserved rest and focus on different characters for a while. After all, there are other characters like Scarecrow and Two-Face who haven’t been given their own solo films. Three out of five stars.
