A lot has already been said about Joker: Folie à Deux in a not-so-positive way, that my expectations were fairly low going into it. Yes, I knew it was a musical – which actually intrigued me more after initially hearing that fact. Yes, I knew how it ended, but spoilers don’t prevent me (most of the time) from watching something. As a fan of the first Joker movie and someone who is always looking for something different in the comic book genre, I still wanted to see what the conversation was about.
Once it was all said and done, I sat on my couch and kept thinking how it’s the most ambitious Todd Phillips film ever directed – which says something about the guy whose filmography mostly consists of lifting plots from other, better films and rebranding them as his own with mixed results. It’s also one of the boldest takes in the comic book genre to date. And yet, Joker: Folie à Deux is still kind of a beautiful mess.
The movie starts off with a reimagined Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Joker and recapping some key moments from the first film. It’s completely unexpected, but it’s also a terrific way to start the movie. The animation is reminiscent of the old Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons of that era, and it’s done in the same vein. I kind of loved it. From there, the film then goes into the prison where Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is locked up for the murder of Murray Franklin and others. Most of the film is spent either in the courtroom where the trial takes place or in the prison where Arthur is housed. Even with all the crimes he committed, Arthur’s alter ego, Joker, still attracts a giant fanbase of psychotic sycophants. People worship Joker and even dress up as him even though he’s a murderer.
While in prison, Arthur meets Lee (Lady Gaga), who kind of dabbles in becoming the well-known Harley Quinn character that many comic book fans know and love. Gaga never goes full makeup and outfit, but there are little hints here and there. The two form a romantic relationship of some sort, and it’s just as toxic and broken as one would imagine if you’re familiar with the characters’ love story.
Phillips continues his dive into the psychotic mind of Arthur and what makes him tick, while also taking jabs at crazed fans who worship such a character. This is part of the reason why people felt insulted by Joker: Folie à Deux and the direction it took. There’s a lot of build-up carried over from the first film, and then Phillips throws most of it away to tell people that they were wrong for praising the first Joker the way they did. An odd take, but an interesting one nonetheless.
The criticisms of fandom didn’t quite bother me as much as the aimless direction. Joker: Folie à Deux was billed as a musical intertwined with this dark thriller, which is uncommon in film. But the musical moments that are brought about mostly feel like sidesteps from the plot and somewhat shoehorned. They’re expertly filmed, and this is, without a doubt, one of the best-looking and well-shot films that Phillips has made in his career.
The dark scenery mixed with the vivid colors of umbrellas and attire is something that is out of his usual wheelhouse and shows that he may have more up his sleeve than we have come to expect. But Joker: Folie à Deux also feels aimless in its direction, and it doesn’t quite have all of what I expected for what was billed as a musical. It’s like how he handles the connections to the Batman lore. He is tip-toeing up to the pool without taking a full leap in.
I can understand him not wanting to make a full connection to DC and make his own thing, which is his every right and a daring approach. But it makes the film feel more scattershot than focused. And you can have all the great performances you want. Phoenix and Gaga both own their roles. But when the movie veers off in so many different directions and overstays its welcome by about 20 minutes, you end up with something that is interestingly frustrating.
The Blu-ray release for Joker: Folie à Deux captures the visuals and colors amazingly, making the musical scenes stand out quite well. There is more than one hour’s worth of behind-the-scenes materials and other bonus features that explore the effort it took to take on this new approach to the Joker story as well.
I have a feeling Joker: Folie à Deux will stick with me much longer than I anticipate, even if I find it a mess. It’s something different, for sure, and it’s exactly what Hollywood needs to break the mold of cookie cutter comic book films. But it doesn’t entirely work. And yet, I can’t write it off entirely and say it was a waste of time.
