"They're saying you're a bad influence on me."
Warner Bros. Pictures / Joint Effort
Set a couple of years after the events of the first Joker, its fairly thin follow-up is almost exclusively set in Arkham Asylum and the Gotham Courthouse with moments of fantastical singing sequences from the mind of Phoenix's Arthur Fleck awaiting trial and an insanity defense for his crimes. Much of Folie à Deux looks hauntingly gorgeous thanks to some high production value. Regular cinematographer Lawrence Sher's stunning shots of Phoenix and Gaga's faces through stark closeups and extended unbroken long takes are further enhanced by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's propulsive musical score.
It's mostly a contained two-hander between our pair of leads with few others to occupy the runtime outside of purely supporting roles played by Catherine Keener as Arthur's defense attorney and Brendan Gleeson as a jovial prison guard with Harry Lawtey also appearing as the future "Two-Face" prosecutor Harvey Dent. They exist only for audiences to get deeper into Fleck's damaged psyché. We really never really even get to know Lee's motivations or possible manipulation outside of her admiration for Fleck despite Gaga's inspired but limited performance.
Scripted once again by Scott Silver and Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux refuses to give fans what they want at every turn. There's no big "Clown Prince of Crime" reveal or even any real action as Phillips controversially eschews most of any greater Batman references outside of Dent's appearance to set up its frustrating legal procedural setup as a meta prosecution of its predecessor film. Much of the sequel is a satirical trial or referendum on the original film's impact and violence. Still, like the first Joker, this one's commentary feels rather toothless despite taking risks as a slow burn courtroom musical drama.
More | YVArcade / Indiewire / Polygon / ScreenCrush
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