Folie a Deux. French for madness of two. From the moment that title was an announced, it was presumed that Harley Quinn would be making an appearance, and I applaud the selection of Lady Gaga as Joaquin Phoenix’s counterpart. However, I suspect that the reasons for her selection were twofold given the decision to make the film a musical. Perhaps not an official musical, but in my humble opinion, I don’t think it could have been any more official. Unfortunately, this was among my issues with the film. It was too long, and there were too many songs. The film felt like it was movie promoting the soundtrack rather than vice versa. I’ve never been one for musicals, and this sequel did not move me off that mark, as the film essentially fell apart towards the end with a bittersweet ending. I think I preferred the ending to the first film. Picking up two years after the events film, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is brought to trial for the five murders he committed, including the one he did on live television. With little to work with, his lawyer hopes to mount an insanity defense, which when you consider the fact that he imagined an entire relationship with a neighbor in the first film, you wouldn’t think would be hard. However, ambitious assistant district attorney Harvey Dent wants to send a message with Arthur’s trial and plans to seek the death penalty. Despite the dismal circumstance, Arthur remains a popular figure and has amassed a devoted fan following, having become the face for challenging the established order.
But none more devoted than Lee Quinzel. The attraction is instant owing to the chemistry between Phoenix and Gaga. The pair are good match-up, though if I had to choose who gave the stronger performance, I’d have to give the edge to Gaga, as she had a bit more to work with. Given her character’s backstory, we know that she is well versed in psychology, and this plays a factor in the pair’s dynamic. Phoenix gives a very nuanced performance, embodying both the character’s charisma and vulnerability. However, I resonated more with Gaga’s character. I enjoyed the shift in the dynamic. Normally, Joker is the more dominant role, but that circumstance is flipped, which makes sense, as he is on trial for murder and more reliant on her than she is on him.
With more than 15 musical numbers, I would almost certainly qualify the film as a musical. The film’s director, on the other hand, does not perceive it that way, considering the music as an extension of the dialog. He apparently considered it apropos that if Arthur didn’t have the words to say what he wanted to say, he could just sing them.
After viewing the film, I supposed there was some validity to his argument. However, I would say that the sheer number of musical numbers became excessive after a while and became a poor substitute for quality dialog. I will admit there were a couple of musical sequences that I actually enjoyed, such as during Arthur’s television interview or when Arthur learned that he could face the death penalty. Phoenix was not the strongest singer, but his voice was in keeping with a character who was not much of a standup comedian.
Interestingly, this film marks Joaquin Phoenix’s first sequel in his illustrious career. Additionally, the film releases on the fifth anniversary of the release of the first film. It would seem that the studio is hoping that lightning will strike again. If I’m being perfectly honest, I don’t think it will. I have no doubt that the film will turn a profit; I am just skeptical that it will reach the same heights. The thing the first film had going for was that it was unlike any other DC film. It was our first taste of a live-action Elseworld film. It was intriguing. Folie a Deux is not without its own intrigue, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s too many songs. The film also could have been trimmed down to make the film tighter and more succinct. The subplot with the guards served no real purpose till the final act when Arthur has his revelation. I enjoyed the trial portions and would have preferred that this portion of the film had more focus than the time at Arkham. In particular I would have loved more emphasis on Fleck’s efforts to mount a defense for his actions. That could have been a excellent vehicle to showcase more of the character’s charisma and been a rallying call to his supporters akin to when the city rioted at the end of the first film.
So, while the sequel did have some good moments to it, overall, I suspect that Folie a Deux will be a one-and-done for me, especially given the way that it ended, which I found to be bittersweet, and I suspect this will be the final nail in the coffin for the franchise. I am, however, intrigued by the idea of DC pursuing other Elseworld films and hope that this idea remains part of Gunn’s long-range thinking for the studio.
