Film review: ‘JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019) reimagined the supervillain origin story as a study of a fracturing mind with the beaten down incel Arthur Fleck transforming into the weirdly charismatic murdering psychopath clown of the title.  In this age of superhero/ villain obsession it was an ambitious and subversive take on an iconic character but not always a riveting one.  For those not particularly invested in the Joker story it just seemed like a well-acted, stylishly shot but thinly plotted, slightly pretentious, overlong, if at times shockingly violent film that wallowed in misery and madness and gratuitously borrowed from classics like Taxi Driver and King of Comedy.

The sequel titled Joker: Folie á Deux, which roughly translates into ‘shared madness’, is an even stranger beast than the first film, mixing prison movie, courtroom drama, satire of perverse celebrity worship, critique of social and mental health services, violent crime film and (believe it or not) romantic musical.  Bizarrely, while Folie suffers some of the same issues as the first film, this oddball genre mash-up mostly works and results in a better movie than the first one.

This film sees a disturbingly emaciated Arthur locked up in the prison wing of Arkham Asylum.  Ridiculed and bullied by the superficially friendly but ultimately brutal prison guard Jackie (Brendan Gleeson) he’s become a veritable zombie, trudging dolefully through the foreboding prison corridors. That is, until he encounters Harleen (‘Harley’) Quinn (Lady Gaga) a psychiatric patient whose seemingly similar tortured background suggests a kindred spirit to Arthur. With a faint hope he will avoid the electric chair if found not guilty of multiple murders at his upcoming trial, Arthur envisages a possible life with Harley.  Suffice to say, nothing quite goes to plan for the tortured wretch Arthur Fleck.

As in the first film, the plot here is really just a loose framework for a study of Arthur’s crumbling mind and the world’s dubious response to his actions.  This time, unexpectedly, his psychotic delusions take the form of elaborate musical duets with Harley in which they belt out classic Sinatra and Burt Bacharach tunes in sequences that resemble a Sonny and Cher performance or a Vincent Minnelli musical from the 50’s.  This device could have gone horribly wrong but the two leads commit to this fantasy so wholeheartedly that the musical interludes are mostly entertaining – we can even tolerate Phoenix’s very limited vocals – and provide an effectively stark contrast to the grim reality of Arthur’s life.  After seeing a few of these, though, they start to lose their novelty value.

Phoenix, who occupies the frame for most of the film is terrific, shifting back and forth from mocking and sadistic to funny, tortured and deeply sad.  It’s a superbly unsettling performance in which we’re never too sure how he’s going to behave from one moment to the next.  It’s a tough gig for Lady Gaga to compete with Phoenix’s multilayered performance and as supremely talented as she is, her ‘Harley Quinn’ feels a little flat and underdone by comparison.  She’s understandably terrific, though, in the musical numbers.

Amid some decent supporting performances, Gleeson is appropriately repulsive as the authoritarian bully prison guard. Katherine Keener is excellent as Arthur’s lawyer and a desperate voice of reason amid the chaos and tumult surrounding Joker. There’s also a moving appearance from Leigh Gill reprising his role as Arthur’s compassionate but traumatised former friend Gary who witnessed one of Joker’s savage murders.  Steve Coogan also makes a brief but memorable appearance as a needling TV host who interviews Joker. Disappointingly, though, Harry Lawtey is given little opportunity to make an impression as District Attourney Havey Dent who prosecutes Arthur.

One of the standout features of the first Joker film was the way it looked with Todd Phillips and cinematographer Lawrence Sher conjuring a world that was both gritty and menacing but also vividly coloured.  Arguably, Folie á deux looks even better with striking images of Arthur’s world from the oppressive gothic misery of the prison to the stunning technicolour of the musical scenes.

An interesting and it appears, controversial, aspect of a film like this is the tension between its study of a battered personality and the fanciful DC universe in which its situated.  It would be hard to imagine a fully costumed Batman in one of these Joker films and at times it’s as if Phillips wants to derail the superhero movie freight train. Not surprisingly, this has triggered a fanboy backlash.

Joker: Folie á Deux is still a little long and in addition to grumpy fanboys, those who have no interest in an artier but more visceral take on a comic villain may be left cold.  There are some rewards, however, for those who want Hollywood to at least attempt to be more challenging and confronting.

Nick’s rating: ***

Genre: Drama/ Crime.

Classification: MA15+.

Director(s): Todd Phillips.

Release date: 3rd Oct 2024.

Running time: 138 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

 

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