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October 5, 2024The inclination to want to make more of something successful is completely understandable, even if it’s not always advisable. Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker was a formidable reimagining of a classic villain first created eighty years earlier, and it earned eleven Oscar nominations, including a bid for Best Picture and prizes for star Joaquin Phoenix and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. News of a sequel being commissioned shouldn’t have been surprising, especially given the popularity of comic book films, but its arrival signals that perhaps the brilliance of the first film was indeed a singular occurrence and needn’t have merited another cinematic effort.
There are interesting concepts to be found in Joker: Folie à Deux, which introduces Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), this film’s version of Harley Quinn, who was recently portrayed very memorably by Margot Robbie in multiple DC Extended Universe Films and has been the subject of a critically-acclaimed animated series currently airing on Max. But this is no longer an origin story about the man who the world knows as the Joker. Instead, it’s a continuing narrative that can’t possibly be as compelling as the exploration of its protagonist’s path to notoriety, having already uncovered the most worthwhile revelations before this film begins.
From a storytelling perspective, this sequel is hampered by the facts of its setup, which finds Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) in maximum security prison being evaluated for mental fitness to stand trial for his crimes. The guards seem to like him, constantly prompting him for a joke, but also enjoying tormenting and torturing him to keep him in line. For a good portion of the film, it remains unclear whether Fleck is in fact giving in to the subversive elements of his personality or has actually rid himself of those violent, maniacal tendencies, and audiences are simply waiting – and waiting – to see when he’s going to snap back into the devious, makeup-covered troublemaker they love to watch but whose portrayal in both these films is far less entertaining and more disturbing than previous interpretations by the likes of Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.
In addition to needing to remain grounded in a physical prison for the majority of its run, this film also has to contend with the imaginative and unreliable nature of its protagonist’s perception of reality. One device utilized to questionable effect is the inclusion of multiple musical numbers. Some are meant to be only in Fleck’s head, like when he responds to another inmate’s question with a full song and then the scene continues with the question being repeated and him giving only a short spoken answer. Others include both Fleck and Quinzel, whose romantic union and shared vision for world chaos may or may not be communicated only by brief verbal exchanges and looks. It’s a big swing that this film doesn’t quite land since it never fully distinguishes what’s real and what’s not.
Gaga is unquestionably an inspired choice to play Quinzel and brings a vivid life and flair to her. Yet the film doesn’t allow her to do as much as she could since she’s tied so much to Fleck, who as a character isn’t always that interesting and as the Joker tends to hog too much of the spotlight. It’s hardly the most layered and worthwhile depiction of this nightmare couple, and though she’s present for a good deal of the film, it feels like much less of a duet and instead a story in which she plays only a supporting role. After digging so deeply into Fleck in the first film, this could have been a great opportunity to do the same with her which the film doesn’t bother to take, instead returning to its protagonist whose backstory has already been sufficiently explored, even if there remain plenty of questions about his mental state and motivations.
Those who didn’t like the 2019 film probably won’t like this one either, and, for a particular crowd of fans, it features only minimal tie-ins to existing Batman lore, namely Harry Lawtey’s Harvey Dent, the crusading district attorney whose mission is to make an example of Fleck. But otherwise this doesn’t feel much like a comic book movie, but it also isn’t the elaborate character study that Phillips’ first film was, too comfortable with its established narrative and relying instead on a ticking-clock pace leading up to an inevitable turn of events. The mood, the look, and the stylings of this film mimic the first but feel at times like a pale imitation, continuing to tell a story that was potent and powerful enough without the need for further elaboration.
Movie Rating: 5/10
Awards Buzz: Phoenix did win an Oscar for his portrayal of Fleck in the first film, so to discount him entirely would be foolish even if he’s not adding anything with his performance here. Gaga might also get some buzz for genre prizes. Otherwise, the film’s technical aspects aren’t likely to be recognized if the film isn’t widely acclaimed, with Guðnadóttir the likeliest repeat nominee.