A One Mann’s Movies review of “Joker: Folie á Deux” (2024).
I described 2019’s “Joker” (which I gave 5 stars to) as a “dark film”. But, boy oh boy, it’s like a ray of sunshine compared to “Joker: Folie á Deux”.
Folie á Deux means “Madness for Two” and is also the name of a psychological condition: the sharing of a delution or a mental illness between two people in close association. It’s a brilliant name for a sequel and very apt.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
Plot Summary:
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is in prison awaiting trial for the murder of five (or as he corrects it, six) people. There he meets fellow inmate Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) and a bond is formed.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong violence, language, brief sex”.)
Talent:
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Steve Coogan, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Harry Lawtey, Leigh Gill, Ken Leung, Jacob Lofland.
Directed by: Todd Phillips.
Written by: Scott Silver & Todd Phillips. (Based on characters created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, Paul Dini & Bruce Timm.)
Running Time: 2h 18m.
“Joker: Folie á Deux” Summary:
Positives:
- Brimming with psychotic feel-bad vibes: a terrifying look into the mind of a madman.
- Phoenix on top form again and Gaga is also terrific.
- The fantasy song and dance sequences are well staged
Negatives:
- It will be way too dark for some viewers.
- DC-fans of the first film will not find this to be in the same vibe (and possibly hate it).
Review of “Joker: Folie á Deux”:
Fleck’s shadow drags him down.
The movie starts, I thought, in brilliant fashion with a “Looney Tunes” cartoon featuring Joker. In what I thought was a superb metaphorical scene-setter, Joker, who only wants to sing and dance and entertain the people, is being bullied and pulled down by his own shadow. Eventually, his shadow gets him into such trouble that he is literally beaten down by the force of the law. I frankly loved that, as we cut away from the cartoon to Fleck’s miserable life in Arkham Penitentiary. There’s also a nice throwback to the first film… in Joker’s dressing room is a blood-spattered portrait of Robert De Niro.
Prison life
A large proportion of the film is set in the prison, following Fleck’s up and down relationship with his guards and his fellow inmates. His chief guard Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson) appears to almost befriend Fleck, helping him attend a singing class (where he meets Lee). But when Fleck thanks Sullivan and pats him on the back, he is met with a terrible slap round the head: the balance of power is very much with the establishment.
Multiple different genres
One of the reasons why some may not like this film is that it hits a number of different genres that are extremely diverse.
- At its heart we have a desperate drama about a mentally ill man and the ‘fame train’ that another disturbed person, Lee, chooses to want to climb on for her own benefit.
- Part of Fleck’s illness is his descent into fantasy through song and dance numbers that I felt were really well staged. Some of the effects were beautifully subtle, as when Fleck is being escorted through the rain by four guards with black umbrellas. But in Fleck’s head the umbrellas are multi-coloured and he is about to be a part of an “Umbrellas of Cherbourg” remake!
- Then we have a courtroom drama, with Fleck on trial for the murders he definitely did commit. Some of the witnesses include characters from the first film including Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz) and Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill). (The inclusion of Beetz in the cast frankly confused me. In my “Joker” review, I described described some of the plot as being “left brilliantly (and chillingly) vague”. I had clearly gone to a much, much darker place in my brain than what actually happened!) The scenes of the trial are entertaining but, for me, often lacked the sense of high-drama that I was expecting from it.
What this is definitely NOT is a “Superhero” movie of the ilk of normal DC and Marvel offerings. This is even more the case than “Joker“. I suspect some of the negative criticism I’ve already seen regarding the film derives from this expectation mismatch.
Phoenix is again astonishing.
Joaquin Phoenix never fails to impress me with his acting skills. He, of course, won the Oscar for Best Actor after playing “Joker” the last time and his skills are again on display here. A scene in a prison van, where his face goes from solemn to manic laughter and back, repeatedly, is quite extraordinary. Phoenix also gets the chance to sing and tap dance (I assume this was him and not special effects), which is again impressive.
Gaga is also terrific as well as giving her the chance to sing multiple times in the song and dance numbers.
This will not be for everyone.
It’s very dark, bleak, depressing, dispiriting, disheartening, sombre and heart-rending. (By the way, did I say it was dark?) As such, this will not be for everyone. The trailer makes it look like the song and dance segments will be happy, clappy feelgood segments. But if anything, they make Arthur’s bleak prospects seem even more depressing when you come back to his reality.
Goof?
One mistake I noticed (or at least I think it is a mistake) is when the Jury return their verdict as the “City of New York”. Surely, this should have been Gotham?
Triggers
This is a very dark and bleak film and I would not recommend anyone suffering from depression to go and see it. There are also allusions to suicide within the story.
Summary Thoughts on “Joker: Folie á Deux”
Dark and unexpected, this is an extremely well made, if depressing, movie from Todd Phillips. If you enjoyed “Joker” and want to go down to the next level of madness within Arthur Fleck’s mind, then you may enjoy this. If you’re looking for a Batman-style DC action flick, you are probably going to hate it.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Joker: Folie á Deux”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OKAwz2MsJs .
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