Joker: Folie à Deux

"I don’t think we’re giving the people what they want," says Phoenix as The Joker in a 60s-style variety show, reminiscent of Sonny and Cher, but this time with a Joker and Harley double act. This line essentially serves as the mission statement for the sequel, which follows failed comedian Arthur Fleck, whose 'Joker' persona grew from the unrest of a forgotten underclass and became a symbolic hero for Gotham’s disaffected population, desperate to cast off the heavy burden of the 'Joker.' Now, a year or so later, Arthur is awaiting trial, exhausted by the weight of his alter ego and just wanting to be left alone. However, Gotham’s citizens refuse to let go of their champion so easily. This is personified by Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn, an equally lost soul infatuated with the fantasy of the Joker. Even his defence lawyer argues that the Joker persona is a very real dissociative state of mind, responsible for the killing spree. Although Arthur is tempted to reawaken the Clown Prince of Crime for his audience, he ultimately runs away from it. The film is a deliberately more introspective continuation of the themes explored in the first film. However, since many of these ideas were already touched upon in the original, it feels as though there’s not enough fresh material to warrant a second feature. More importantly, like its protagonist Arthur, the film tries to reject the title character of the first movie, a figure that has since become a globally adopted pop culture symbol, whether it wanted to be or not. Despite beautiful production and great performances from both leads, the film perhaps has too many musical numbers, meant to represent Arthur Fleck’s inner world, that overstay their welcome and feel out of place with the overall direction of the movie. Ultimately, it feels like a film designed to disappoint the masses. It’s an interesting path to explore, even if not the most commercially attractive, but nonetheless, it remains an intriguing portrait of how public idols are chosen."