McDaniel
If you’re a fan of the Oscar-nominated “Joker” film of 2019, there’s a solid chance that you might be disappointed by the gamble director Todd Phillips takes on the sequel, “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
As I exited the theater, a stranger called for my attention. His eyes searched the floor for understanding, and in his confusion he asked me, “So that was a musical?”
Now, I’m a huge fan of musicals, I love them, but my response was, “Yep! A weird musical.”
It’s still mostly a standard feature film, following Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) behind bars, awaiting his trial of the century after the events of the first film. It’s there that he meets Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), who has an obsession with the Joker character.
The love feels strange, derived from the chaos the Joker symbolizes. But there’s a part of Fleck that has only ever wanted someone to love him, so naturally portions of the sequel are spent singing his love from the mountain tops. Think “Elf” — when Will Ferrell shouts, “I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it!”
It’s kinda like that, except Joker murdered a bunch of people. And people love him for it. And there’s less Christmas spirit — okay, it’s nothing like “Elf.”
A part-time clown and terrible standup comedian, Fleck built his miserable life around the idea, no, the fantasy, that he was put on this earth to make people laugh. To entertain, if you will. So for this sequel, be ready to live in a madman’s musical psyche. And I have to say, I was into it — for the first half.
By the second half, after a copout courtroom conclusion, I was still eagerly invested in seeing how the story would wrap up, but at that point the musical diversions — and they’re not strong musical numbers — started to feel less relevant to the narrative and more like unwanted interruptions.
Phoenix gives an amazing performance, casting an array of thoughts and feelings with no more than a glance. Yes, there’s a layer of crazy beneath the surface, but I felt like I knew exactly what he was saying with only his eyes (maybe that says something scary about me).
Gaga matches his sociopathic showing, but her obvious vocal talents are underutilized, and their romantic relationship builds to a forced climax that makes little logical sense, followed by an unexpected twist of an ending.
I’m actually okay with the twist, it made Fleck’s story even sadder for me, but it’s bound to split audiences with its significant implications for the broader Joker storyline.
Fittingly, the song-filled “Joker: Folie à Deux” is like a karaoke party, where you’re having a good time for a while, then you realize the singing isn’t great, it has outlived its charm, and you’re ready for it to end.
3/5
Scott McDaniel is an assistant professor of journalism at Franklin College. He lives in Bargersville with his wife and three kids.
