Kudos to Todd Phillips for approaching his new project with audacious creativity in a post-Joker era. The acclaimed director who, previously won an Oscar and grossed a billion dollars with his Batman spin-off, Joker, has now ventured into the territory of musicals. The film, Joker: Folie à Deux exceeds two hours with more than a dozen songs presented, irrespective of the impression conveyed by the trailer. Even a slightly more tuneful note and it could have crossed into operetta.
Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, the delusional and failed jester turned accidental anarchist who now finds himself constrained within the confines of Arkham Asylum. Here, he is harassed ruthlessly by harsh guards, led by the sinister Brendan Gleeson. Outside, Arthur, reduced to a broken husk, has ascended to the status of a political figurehead, drawing the attention of a well-meaning attorney played by Catherine Keener and an obsessive fan met in the music therapy programme at Arkham.
Arthur’s somnambulism is disrupted by Harleen “Lee” Quinzel, a character imbued with striking energy and zeal by Lady Gaga. Quinzel is familiar with Arthur’s crime spree, having avidly watched its depiction in a TV film repeatedly. Her character resonates with the obsessive nature that led IndieWire to dub the original film as a “cry for empathy for self-indulgent incels”. However, incels may not form the audience for a musical jukebox featuring Lady Gaga and classic hits such as When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You) and That’s Entertainment.
The technique of interweaving the descent into insanity and breaking into a song is a well-established trope, previously seen in Sondheim’s Anyone Can Whistle. Regrettably, the screenplay fails to draw a clear distinction between this concept, the internal dialogue as a musical piece, and an imagined musical sequence. The final scenario succeeds in creating a significant impact, particularly with an enchanting rooftop scene bathed in moonlight and neon. The inclusion of an out-of-place NBC Sonny and Cher-style comedy bit was less successful. Unfortunately, the chosen musical pieces add little to a plot that is already lacking in substance. Prolonged lulls are plentiful. The climax provides familiar plot points that could have easily concluded the first act.
There are ten top-notch fresh series to look out for on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV+ during September. The film at hand is somewhat uneven in terms of its genre, vacillating between a musical, a penitentiary flick, and predominantly, a hefty court-focused drama.
This inconsistency is truly disheartening, seeing as there are numerous elements of the film worthy of commendation. Notably, a precocious shot of the title character lighting his cigarette during a therapy session sets the stage for a barrage of masterful stills by the film’s director of photography, Lawrence Sher, who has a preference for intricacies and protagonist-focused close-ups.
Phoenix, who recently made the news for undesirable reasons, is indeed a spectacle to witness. Arthur’s physique is visibly distorted due to neglect and solitude. Gaga also enters the scene, putting everything into a role that is somewhat lacking depth. The exemplary set and costume design by Mark Friedberg and Arianne Phillips respectively, enhances the alluring aesthetic reminiscent of early 80s Scorsese-De Niro. The narrative astutely interweaves elements from the Batman mythos and other renowned studio Intellectual Property, particularly Looney Tunes. There are intriguing discussions on the correlation of love, mental health, fixation, performance, and fandom. It is a pity the film is not just a tad better.