Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD
The wildly-anticipated sequel starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga to DC’s 2019 Joker movie. This film had everything going for it – spectacular acting, beautiful music and a robust and talented cast – so why was it such a disappointment?
To understand what doesn’t work about Folie à Deux, we need to look at why the first film was so captivating. The original film displayed the writers’ abilities to dive into how society sees mental health and disabilities through the compelling, personal story of Arthur Fleck. By contrast, this film doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be – don’t get me wrong, I like experimental features – but this film just seems so muddled and disconnected from its predecessor that its hard to feel invested in the plot. The film always feels like it’s just starting to begin but never quite gets there, leaving it feeling like a bloated cash grab with little substance.
The story itself takes place just following the first Joker film – with Arthur being held in prison – and the plot largely revolves around the events of the last film. The character of Arthur himself is still perfectly portrayed and so is Gaga’s character of Lee Quinzel, although the court scenes which takes up most of the film are incredibly boring and flimsy. Additionally, the musical scenes are amazing on their own, but they completely take the viewer out of the universe the filmmakers are trying to portray – making it quite difficult to understand what’s really happening or not. Other great actors include the remarkable Brendan Gleeson – although I was a bit disappointed how little he was utilised in the plot.
The general story concerns a court case about whether Arthur is mentally disturbed and deserves rehabilitation or a bloodthirsty killer that should receive the electric chair. The plaintiff is represented by another Batman villain – District Attorney Harvey Dent, who notably becomes Two-Face in the Dark Knight.
Possibly the best scene centres around Gary Puddles – who expresses with deep emotional impact how Arthur’s actions had made him fear for his own life – watching the one man who didn’t make fun of him turn into a psychotic killer. Another positive was the portrayal of Quinzel as a genuinely disturbed individual who falls wildly in love with Arthur due to his Joker “persona”. That being said, the endings to both the characters of Arthur and Quinzel fell rather flat, although it doesn’t seem we’re going to get a third film anyway.
In conclusion, the musical numbers were the clear highlight – although the plot itself was incredibly sluggish. The film was rather disappointing considering its potential, although the new DC “The Penguin” TV series seems considerably more interesting.
Hi, I’m Ava. I’m going into my second year of studying Politics & International Relations and Social Policy. I’m also President of the Strathclyde SNP society.
Instagram: avabirkett
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