I was sure to experience this film with zero bias or trepidation, the only information I was armed with was the phrase, ‘Folie à Deux’. Which in French is the ‘madness for two’ or more professional speaking, a delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association.
Joker and Harley have always been a love affair to remember, the pair have become globally recognised as one of the most dysfunctional relationships in fiction. This film embodies their shared psychosis, Todd Phillips transports the audience into Joker’s mind and Harley’s addiction alongside reality. We aren’t watching a simple movie, we are watching the steady decline of an individuals mental state.
Joker (2019) began the tragic journey of Arthur Fleck, this film finishes it. In Joker (2019) we hear “That’s Life” by Frank Sinatra, in Folie à Deux (2024) we hear “That’s Entertainment” from the film, ‘The Band Wagon’ (1953). I believe these two songs embody the essence of each film, the first is Arthur’s tragic life and the later is his imagined fantasy as an entertainer.
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) depicts Arthur’s life in Arkham and his trial, the beginning of the film opens with a Looney Tunes style cartoon, as though Joker has jumped out of the comic and onto the screen. I adored this wacky introduction to the character which was quickly juxtaposed with the bleak, grey settings of Arkham and the harsh reality of life.
Joker: Folie à Deux, despite the musical numbers, is not short of heartache and tragedy. This film gives us an equal balance of reality and fiction, the moments inside Arthur’s head depict Joker’s brash, sassy personality on stage entertaining. In reality, Arthur will forever be in the shadow of Joker and I felt like this film showcased that beautifully.
I am somebody who is strongly connected to music and when a film has music, I listen. I listen to the meaning behind it and the intention for using it. I have always been enamoured by the Joker, the character draws me in with little effort. Joaquin Phoenix is phenomenal, he is faultless as Joker and I was utterly fascinated by his performance.
In my eyes, Phoenix portrayed two characters in this film with distinct personalities and intentions; he succeeded in delivered the tragic clown I could only dream of. Alongside Lady Gaga, the pair worked beautifully together and I genuinely found their voices to compliment one another.
Sure, could they have cut a handful of the songs, yes… but did I find the musical numbers to add clarity to the characters intentions and inner monologue? Yes.
More often than not, films take audiences on a journey. This film did not do that, Folie à Deux (2024) did not have a true storyline. Instead, it was a collection of psychotic episodes merged within reality. Sadly, that was the biggest flaw to this feature, the lack of development or growth. Arthur did not grow as a character, neither did Joker. We simply watched as he crumbled and spiralled into a shell of himself.
I adore films that take risk, films that attempt to challenge its audience to see something new. Something unusual, something daring. Todd Phillips took a risk when making this film, Joker (2019) was a hard act to follow and in some ways he was never going to exceed exception so why not have fun with it.
Did this film deserve the harsh criticism it received? Absolutely not. Can I understand why fans of the 2019 film were disappointed and expected something more fulfilling? Yes but nonetheless, I like films that attempt the unexpected and I could never have predicted how that film was going to play out.
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