By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
After the rousing success of the first “Joker” movie in 2019 that earned Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar, anticipation and expectations have been high that the sequel will deliver an equally rewarding filmgoing experience. Unfortunately, “Joker: Folie à Deux” disappoints like many films based on comic book characters have been doing lately. The story is a slog and offers nothing to justify its existence, leading this franchise straight into a dead end.
Taking place soon after the murderous events of the first film, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is in prison awaiting his trial for the five homicides he committed as his alter ego Joker. Frail, despondent, and alone, Arthur is barely alive, existing in a mindless, pill induced fog in his maximum-security mental hospital surrounded by tormenting guards like Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). When he gets the chance to attend a musical therapy class to assist with rehabilitation, he meets Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), and the connection is instantaneous.
Arthur finds a compatriot in his madness with Lee, aka Harley Quinn, rejuvenating his spirit and giving him a reason to sing and laugh again. As the music finds him, he embraces the spectacle of his trial, leading many in Gotham to support and revere Joker, for he represents chaos against the establishment. An inner struggle bubbles under the surface as Arthur Fleck becomes terrified of losing his own identity to the murderous monster he’s become.
It’s no secret that writer/director Todd Phillips struggles with making sequels. His “The Hangover” trilogy became progressively worse with each subsequent sequel. “Joker: Folie à Deux” practically falls off a cliff from the first film, unsurprisingly, because as brilliant as “Joker” was in 2019, the character portrayal he provided in that film was only meant for a solo project. The depressing nature of this sad creature is not meant to be featured multiple times. As a result, the film is bogged down in gloomy misery from the beginning, progressing at a snail’s pace and running out of gas long before the finish line. Phillips teases the audience with hints that the iconic Batman villain is about to erupt in chaotic violence only to fizzle out in imagined fantasy, leaving a dull trial drama and strange acapella singing for viewers to endure instead.
Despite the bland nature of this story, this is not the usual money grab type of sequel. The production value is still quite remarkable, so credit Phillips for at least making an effort to make this a good movie. Lawrence Sher, who was nominated for his incredible cinematography for “Joker,” returns and supplies equally impressive camera angles and shots that are both creative and dynamic, leading to memorable visuals. Phillips tries hard to shake things up by incorporating different techniques like beginning the film with a short animation depicting the mental illness within the main character or turning several scenes into musical numbers. Even though these efforts are commendable, they do nothing to spice up a story that simply retreads the path of the first film.
The acting is equally disappointing. Even though he provides that same character portrayal that won him his only Oscar, Joaquin Phoenix offers nothing new to progress or evolve his character. His performance in “Joker” was so innovative and uniquely his own, making that version of the often-played villain one of the strongest. Phoenix provides nothing new in this sequel, making his character tired and very weak that has the audience wondering how they ever enjoyed his performance in the first place. There will be no nomination this time around for a yawn-inducing portrayal such as this.
Adding Lady Gaga, who was deservingly nominated for her outstanding performance in 2019’s “A Star Is Born,” to play Harley Quinn seems like a brilliant move on the surface. However, despite her intense method acting approach, her performance is mild and meek, making viewers yearn for the psychotic charisma Margot Robbie displayed playing the same role in the “Suicide Squad” movies. It doesn’t help that she had no believable on-screen chemistry with Joaquin Phoenix.
The joke is on you if you spend money on this musical/animation/prison drama. You are better off revisiting the first film and ignoring the existence of this sequel as it fails to launch on its own merit. “Joker: Folie à Deux” is like a sad clown, depressing and unappealing.
This movie earns:
