Joker Folie Г  Deux movie review: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga's musical offers less harmony, more cacophony

While a considerable part of Joker (2019) played out in subways and the streets of Gotham City, Folie Г  Deux unfolds primarily in the courtroom. The fans (and this critic) felt robbed after sitting through a 2 hour, 33 minute courtroom drama-cum-musical which never really takes off.

02 Oct 2024 / 20:02 IST

After the events of Joker (2019), Arthur Fleck (failed comedian, and murderer, played by Joaquin Phoenix) is now in Arkham Asylum.

In French, Folie Г  deux means "two madnesses". Two people suffer from psychotic episodes together, go mad, feed off each other's delusions. You have to be really crazy to imagine the continuation of the Joker in the form of a musical.

The choice is bold. It piques the audience's curiosity. But it is not entirely successful, as genres collide and the result is a cacophony instead of a harmonious melody. Neither Gaga's eccentricity nor Phoenix's psychopathic Joker act saves the musical's syllables.

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Joker Folie Г  deux: The plot

After the events of the film Joker (2019), Arthur Flex (a struggling comedian and killer played by Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself in Arkham Asylum. Everyone in the hospital knows that Arthur filmed the prestigious talk show "Murray Franklin Live". Now he does not enjoy the bad glory in the hospital - everyone who sees him sees a murderer, except another inmate.

Quincel falls in love with him (she is played by a blonde Lady Gaga). The novel between the two begins the moment Arthur appears in court for the murder of Murray Franklin.

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Joker Folie Г  Deu: Performance

Whether Arthur is found guilty depends on what defense his lawyer, Katherine Kinner, will take. To clear his name, Arthur must be declared mentally ill. His lawyers struggle to prove that the Joker has a split personality.

Arthur's personality crisis is the main focus of the musical. When Quiz and Flex are sent to a musical therapy class, the two embark on a psychopathic journey where the line between reality and nonsense becomes blurred.

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Written and directed by Joker: Folie Г  deux

What makes Joker: Folie Г  deux work is that it plays on the idea that Arthur and the Joker are split into two personalities, even if the premise is never fully revealed. Somewhere along the line, the film also questions common sense.

A good portion of the film takes place in the Armam Shelter, where we see people fighting in the psychiatric hospital. Jackie's tough guard (Brandon Gleason) does not give Arthur peace.

Joker Folie Г  Deux: What Actually Works and What Doesn't

There are several reasons why this movie doesn't work. First, the boredom drags on and you can't get hooked. This Aristark doesn't have the ability to switch off when some musical numbers are played out. Arthur and Quinzel sing Hollywood bestsellers from the 1940s (most of us weren't born in that era!).

Don't get me wrong: I never thought they'd sing Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso." This is more of a song choice than a song description.

While the main setting of Joker (2019) was the underground and streets of Gotham City, the shock of Folie Г  Deux unfolds in the courtroom. Admirers (and this critic) felt cheated after spending 2 hours and 33 minutes in the courtroom.

"This isn't it," I thought every time the song played. The action sequence continues, and there aren't enough things that can actually hurt you. I can't deny that die-hard DC fans have different opinions about the ending of this movie. In fact, everything was exactly the same for me. I was just happy to see it through to the end.

Star rating: 2 / 5 stars

The movie "Follie Г  la Joker" is now in theaters.