Dog’s Movie House: “Joker: Folie A Deux” An Unusual Yet Entertaining Followup To 2019 Oscar Winner!

“Joker: Folie A Deux” picks up a short time after the events of the first film. Arthur has now been a prisoner at Arkham Asylum for a while now, awaiting trial for the five murders he committed. He’s been beaten during his time in Arkham, taking a vow of silence in the face of abuse from the sadistic guards led by Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). Meanwhile Arthur still remains a huge celebrity because of the high profile murder of talk show host Murray Franklin on live television. A monster to some, a folk hero to others, Arthur’s Joker persona is larger than life.

Things change for Arthur when a field trip to Arkham’s minumum security wing for a music class allows him to meet Lee (short for Harley, as in Harley Quinn). The two form an instant connection and fall in love, with Lee bolstering Arthur’s confidence and bringing out what she believes to be the best in him. With Lee at his side, Arthur finally starts to take control of his life and he believes that the Joker is necessary for his survival. But all is not what it seems and soon Arthur is feeling more isolated than ever during the trial and fighting for his life.

Writer/director Phillips (“The Hangover”) proved he could do serious drama with “Joker” and takes a big swing with this film. “Joker: Folie A Deux” is full of ideas, but not enough of them get explored to really coalesce into the classic examination of mental health that defined the first film. The primary reason for this is the fact that “Joker: Folie A Deux” is a musical. Because Arthur has made a connection with Lee (who of course, played by Gaga, loves to sing), his fantasy world is now expressed through the prism of music. Old chestnuts like “Close To You” and “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” among others are all dramatized in the form of big budget musical numbers that, while somewhat illuminating to the state of Arthur’s mind, really blunt the momentum of the narrative. Depending on the number, the music also sometimes shifts the tone from fairly serious to unintentional comedy.

That said, “Joker: Folie A Deux” is never less than watchable, with Phoenix once again doing sterling work as the conflicted Arthur Fleck. His swings between awkward Arthur and the more flamboyant Joker are smooth and natural and, once again, you’re actually rooting for him to succeed in the hopes that he will eventually get better and find some happiness in such a horrible world. Gaga again is fabulous as Lee, but her part is somewhat underwritten as most of her motivations are revealed through the prism of Arthur’s gaze. She’s never less than magnetic on the screen, though, and her pipes during the musical numbers remain unmatched. Gleeson is appropriately hissable as Sullivan, an authority figure who has no trouble abusing said authority at the drop of a hat, and Catherine Keener is great has the grizzled, tough attorney for Arthur who finds herself on more than one occasion being caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

While the musical numbers aren’t bad (Phoenix has a good singing voice especially when he cuts loose with Gaga), their inclusion shatters the narrative momentum of the film. We know they aren’t real, unlike several scenes in the original film, and thus they lack the impact of the fantasy sequences in “Joker.” To me, at least, it’s a matter of style over substance that takes away from the primary story which is pretty damned compelling on its own. “Joker: Folie A Deux” has a corker of an ending, too, which gives the film a fascinating coda and provides an interesting sidebar to the character known as “Joker.” Is it a great film? The answer is a resounding “no,” but it’s definitely worth seeing as an interesting piece of cinema. It’s just not nearly as interesting as the first film! 3 1/2 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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