‘I’ ON CULTURE
I was looking forward to seeing Joker: Folie à Deux. But I was horribly disappointed. This was one of the weakest films ever made in the genre. And, although director Todd Phillips claims it is not a musical, there was more singing than many films defined as such. I spent a lot of time checking my watch.
It is a shame. After all, the original Batman movie by Tim Burton in 1989 basically created the modern superhero genre. There had been similar movies before but none quite like that one, which could appeal to adults. And Jack Nicholson was a vivid Joker. Then, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight in 2008 became one of the best films of the century with a brilliant performance by Heath Ledger. Finally, 2019’s Joker by Todd Phillips presented Joaquin Phoenix as a tormented loser who became the supervillain. All were excellent.
The problem is that this movie goes nowhere. That is not always a big problem. Jerry Seinfeld created a situation comedy that lasted for years that was designed to deal with nothing. But here the audience sits through more than two hours of mostly standing still. And there are many holes in the plot.
We see Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) in Arkham State Hospital. It is several years after the events of the first movie, and he is still locked up. Although officially a mental hospital, it is run like a prison, a particularly tough one. But Fleck goes along. His major problem seems to be that crusading prosecutor Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) wants to try him. And, then, as fellow inmates say “fry him.” His attorney (Catherine Keener) is fighting for him, but he is particularly uncooperative. Then, one day, one of the guards, Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson), brings him to a choral group where he meets loyal fan Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga). In Gotham mythology, she will become Harley Quinn.
Lee is even crazier than Arthur. She sets a fire leading to an evacuation of the whole building, and the two loonies do a complex song and dance instead of getting out. Eventually, there is a trial and, well, wait until you can see it for free. A major problem is that nothing much really happens. Arthur is in the hospital, has a sort of trial, but, well, that’s it. That part of the more than two-hour film is deadly dull. Arthur seldom is even the Joker. And Lady Gaga seems to have little to do. She is supposed to inspire him but barely spends any real time with him after the first hour.
Most surprising, the acting was not even all that good. Director Phillips gave Phoenix a lot of close-up time, allowing subtle facial expressions. But in this case, less would have been more. There were inappropriate laughs, a lot of facial shifts that could have meant nothing, but except for a few scenes in the courtroom as the Joker, he is back to being a loser. Lady Gaga is not asked to do much acting. Essentially, she is simply a crazy fangirl of the Joker. Most of her acting is done as she is singing, which does limit the emotion. Gleeson is the best actor in the film, although there were a few contradictions to his being a sympathetic guard. Most of the rest of the cast is simply OK.
As for the songs, just about all are sung by Phoenix and Gaga. She is a far better singer than actress. She is also able to convey feelings while she sings, but since basically old songs were used, she had to struggle a bit to get them fully integrated. Phoenix has a decent voice, but more than a few times garbles the words. When he sings “If You Go Away,” a mediocre translation of Jacques Brel’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas,” the words of a powerful song are so mumbled the meaning disappears.
I wish I could point out some good points to the film but that is almost impossible. My high hopes were crushed. In the last Joker movie, Phoenix almost broke my heart and, crazy and dangerous as he was, I could root for him. In this film, I only wanted to see the end credits so I could leave.
Skip it. And, frankly, I don’t know that even a TV rental is worth it.