“So a psychopath walks into a bar and sees this famous clown sitting there all alone. Totally drunk;, it’s pathetic. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he says. “What a disappointment. I used to watch you on TV. What can I get you?” And this clown turns and says “Well, if you’re buying you can get me anything.” “Perfect,” the psychopath says. “How about I get you what you f’in deserve?”
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 Lady Gaga’s selection as Joaquin Phoenix counterpart. However, I suspect that the reason for her selection was 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 circumstances, 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 it 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.
Video
Joker Folie a Deux is presented in an aspect ratio of 2.20:1. The ultra-high-definition 2160p image is arrived at by an HEVC codec with an average bitrate of 55-60 mbps. The ultra-high-definition image presentation is a bit of the same mixed bag that the original theatrical presentation had been. The style of the film starts with a very colorful and vibrant cartoon that fades quickly into an almost monochromatic world with the Joker now in prison. When he discovers Lee, the colors begin to invade the bleakness and eventually fall into some bright and lively colors in the fantasy segments. It’s a rather nice emotional cue, and this release delivers just what you saw on the big screen. The HDR helps with refining the contrast so that blacks are deep and rich with wonderfully defined borders with both light and color. There’s none of the bleed that often hurts a film like this even in HD. There are some nice textures that come out, particularly in Joker’s clothes and the prison surroundings.
Audio
The Dolby Atmos audio presentation defaults to 7.1. This is considered a musical … I guess. But the musical numbers are not presented in a full-on song-and-dance kind of presentation. You get that a little bit in a couple of fantasy scenes, but mostly the songs are rather somber with a lot of musical undertones instead of full productions. You can hear them fine even if some singing is actually kind of under Joker’s breath. Dialog cuts through, and the score does repeat some of the original score, which I enjoyed more than the one here. Subs bring a nice layer of depth to the film and highlight the action scenes quite a bit.
Special Features
The extras are found on the single UHD disc.
Everything Must Go: (44:05) There are four parts here: Can I Have A Cigarette, Finding Lee, A Hundred
Films In One and King Of Nothing. This is pretty much a production diary that takes us through several different days in the 81-day shoot. Some loose themes are applied, and it’s only broken into parts because of royalty issues. There is a handy play-all option.
The Character Of Music: (8:20) This is less about score or composition like many of these features. Here they talk about atmosphere and themes and constructing custom instruments for the film to get a unique kind of music.
Crafted With Class: (7:21) A behind-the-scenes look at building the sets.
Colors Of Madness: (6:22) The film uses color to help express the emotions of the characters as well as fantasy segments. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how that process was determined.
Live! With The Joker: (5:16) A look art the opening Joker cartoon.
Final Thoughts:
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.
Parts of this review were written by Gino Sassani
