Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Plot: Arthur Fleck, aka Joker, aka The Clown Prince of Crime (Joaquin Phoenix), is now in Arkham Asylum after he killed five people, including talk show host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live television—and six if you include his mother. He awaits the trial that will decide his punishment. While his attorney continues to convince the world that he has bipolar disorder, Arthur meets Lee, aka Harley Quinzel (Lady Gaga). Their detachment from the real world and love for chaos make them fall for each other, but the prison stands between them, and music cannot break them free from it as it liberates their souls. So, what do they do? 

Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Analysis

Comic books are holy grimoires for nerds who have consumed them word for word, cover to cover, taking in every bit of illustration. They will not easily let someone snatch characters from their fantasy world and tell stories that are not in sync with what they have cherished so far. Either the filmmaker must be a genius like Todd Phillips, who chose to tell a story that took us back in time or have a cunning mind like Matt Reeves, who has blended his tales into universally accepted and praised styles (look how The Penguin resembles The Sopranos). Todd, who gave us Joker (2019) five years ago, takes us back to the '80s, where Arthur is now in Arkham Asylum waiting for trial. The idea that someone could have Joker under the radar of the law, being questioned while building his love story with Harley, is wild and quite brave.

The criminals of Gotham are not easily found testifying, especially with Harvey Dent in the room but against them. Phillips does that by boldly entering uncharted territory. With his Joker writing partner Scott Silver, Phillips envisions a tale that oscillates between a courtroom and Arkham Asylum, making it the entire world for Arthur, who is about to find love in the most unexpected circumstances. Just as he is returning from a session with his attorney, there she is, singing with the choir.

If you're expecting a brutal Arthur who might kill some more people, this is not that film. It is an unapologetic love story of two mad people madly in love with each other. Todd explores a man probably controlled by a shadow, his bipolar disorder, and his mental illness. For this, he references the Joker: Me and My Shadow comic. But does that make him any less of a criminal? Certainly not.

But it is Folie à Deux, which means two people with similar delusional beliefs together. So he meets his Lee—a woman so madly in love with Joker that she wants him to be Joker all the time and never let Arthur take over again. Their romance is so Imtiaz Ali-coded that Indian viewers don’t even need to scratch the surface to see the similarities. She is chasing the man she saw on TV when he killed someone. But when she meets the man behind the mask, who acts normal, she doesn’t want him. Their love is destructive, but for them, it’s the only form of love they know. They even dream of building a mountain when they run away from all of this—a MOUNTAIN. Imtiaz, were you involved?

Joker: Folie à Deux is not intended to be a sequel if you look at it as a standalone movie. It borrows the central conflict from the first film, weaving a journey that dissects the mind of a man who is probably the most messed up in the room while he watches the world form opinions about him being televised. Todd Phillips builds a dam with Arthur that could break at any time—and it does. When it does, Arthur takes matters into his own hands and stands up for himself. This is where the writing misses the mark in the sequel. After Joker takes over Arthur again, triggered by Lee, we expect him to transform into the wild man who casually killed a talk show host. Folie à Deux never lets him go mad again, instead giving him a moment of complete breakdown that brings him back to being Arthur in a randomly placed sequence.

Joker: Folie à Deux picks up the pace when it should slow down. The 20 minutes before the climax feel like a random montage leading to a conclusion that comic fans will criticize for ages. The climax does make you gasp, though. But that doesn’t change the fact that key moments, like the system’s sexual abuse of Arthur, Lee making him realize she has always loved Joker, and Arthur's realization that there’s no way out for him except being Joker, come too fast and pass too quickly. These moments don’t have the impact they should.

Do I need to tell you how phenomenal Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are? Phoenix knows exactly what being the Clown Prince of Crime means and what it takes to embody him. He never lets Joaquin peep through his performance and elevates the entire film to new levels. Lady Gaga, who knows how to play off the energy Phoenix throws at her, supports him with confidence. She plays a woman convinced that a brutal killer is the man of her dreams, and there’s nothing that can change her mind—what a performer! Brendan Gleeson as Jackie delivers an interesting performance because he’s so unpredictable, and that’s the best part.

Lawrence Sher’s cinematography is top-notch, especially in the sequence where Arthur and Harley briefly break free from the Asylum. The entire sequence is shot brilliantly. Another standout moment is when the lights in the Asylum go out, and you see the silhouette of Arthur lighting a cigarette—brilliance. The music, which creates a parallel world mostly in the head of delusional Arthur, is spot on. Even when the writing fails to balance the musical element with storytelling at times, the songs and scores are still brilliantly composed and executed. Hildur Guðnadóttir deserves praise for showcasing the musical talent of both Gaga and Phoenix.

Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Final Verdict

Joker: Folie à Deux is not as terrific as Joker (2019), but its intent is certainly to tell a story that doesn’t cash in on its predecessor. It falters and lags but is daring and has a beating heart, with two of the most outstanding performances this year from Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga!

Joker: Folie à Deux releases in India on October 2, 2024, and on October 4, 2024, in the rest of the world. Stay tuned to Mobile Masala for more reviews and updates from the world of streaming and films.

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