DC’s most notorious villain, the Joker, gives you another glimpse into his dark origin with “Joker: Folie à Deux.” However, this sequel takes a sharp turn from the first film with the fact that it, surprisingly, is a musical.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as he awaits trial in the infamous Arkham Asylum for the five murders he committed in “Joker” (2019). While there, he is introduced to fellow patient Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), a.k.a Harley Quinn.
They quickly fall in love, Quinzel drawn by his unhinged Joker persona. This coincides with the titular phrase “folie à deux,” which is a shared mental illness or psychosis by two people.
The original “Joker” was oppressively dark in tone. It cataloged the vile abuse and mistreatment Fleck faced that led to his descent into madness. Many scenes were hard to watch, such as the numerous times Fleck was unjustly beaten. That tone, while replicated in some scenes, was starkly different from the fantastical musical numbers.
The songs included are a mix of diegetic tracks, able to be heard by all the characters, and fantasy showtunes in Fleck’s imagination. The diegetic songs are more simplistic, sung by either Fleck or Quinzel. The other songs though include their own set and costuming.
The musical numbers do have some merit; they are representative of Fleck’s mental and emotional state and detail how he feels about Lee. However, all of this could be accomplished with a third of the songs. That extra time could have then been better spent on more genuine character development and advancing the plot.
Each musical number felt as though it went on for a minute too long. They dragged on, and their frequency was exhaustive. Without this excess of song, the film could’ve been much better.
It was interesting to see the origin of Harley Quinn and how her obsession with the Joker evolved. Lady Gaga played this role perfectly and while known mainly for her successful music career, her acting talent cannot be denied.
With other standout roles like Ally in “A Star is Born” (2018) and The Countess in “American Horror Story” (2015-2016), Gaga has already proven her skill set. However, it would have been nice to see more dialogue from her instead of just focusing on her, albeit fantastic, singing.
Most of the characters in this film were new and could have benefited from more characterization.
Fleck’s relationship with his lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), was interesting, but we could’ve been given more. An ode to the DC source material, Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) a.k.a. Two Face was the prosecutor in Fleck’s trial. We get to see him in action within the courtroom, but didn’t learn too much more about him.
The only new character that felt fully flushed out was Arkham Asylum guard Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). His relationship with Fleck was a driving force in Fleck’s character arc while locked up. Through scenes of special treatment and torment, the audience got a thorough view of their dynamic.
While aspects like the script, plot and acting were compelling, these great features were severely weakened by the musical element.
While “Joker: Folie à Deux” is worth a watch, it certainly doesn’t compare to the first film. This “Joker” is mediocre and is a solid 3.5/5 stars.
