Joker: Folie à Deuxhas not only managed tofail to perform at the box officeand with critics, but it has severely annoyed, failed to connect with, or just completely ignored almost everyone who saw the originalJoker. It leads to the question: who was this film really for? As it has frustrated almost every sect of fan or critic of the original. I personally enjoyed the originalJoker, viewing Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as a tragic figure who we shouldn’t ever want to emulate, nor should we want to emulate the society that ignores him. However, whilstTodd Phillipswas firm in his artistic vision,Joker: Folie à Deuxno longer felt like a film about the character of the Joker and failed to expand on the ideas set up in the 2019 original, preferring to only walk a well-worn narrative path, looking backward rather than forwards.
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Distanced Itself From the Fans of Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck in ‘Joker’
InJoker: Folie à Deux, Todd Phillips draws a clear line in the sand, completely condemning the activist-like fans who saw Arthur Fleck as a kind of incel hero who was genuinely correct about society and his violent response to it. However, because of the damning portrayal of Arthur Fleck, and even Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) in this film, beginning and ending the trial as clearly guilty, before being given a kind of capital punishment at the end,Phillips takes away any of the interest behind Fleck’s character. I understand Phillips wanting to make a sequel to expand and confirm his original message, but to not even give nuance to the perspective of Arthur Fleck feels foolish to begin with, as one should be able to trust the audience to understand that we’re not supposed to support Arthur in his crimes.
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The Musical and Court Drama Elements in ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Failed To Turn Around Critics of the Original ‘Joker’
The news thatJoker: Folie à Deuxwas going to be a musical was always bound to be met with nervous anticipation, though combining that with a court drama and the star power of Phoenix and Lady Gaga presented the potential for a unique expansion on the narrative ofJoker. However,Todd Phillips’ sequel failed to execute on the commentary surrounding the denouncement of Fleck’s crimes, with the musical and court drama aspects failing to add any kind of vibrant or unique twist toJoker: Folie à Deux.At times, the songs used, or re-used, felt out of place or distractingfrom the actual scene’s subtext at hand, and the courtroom scenes added no new information, never giving the feeling that Fleck was making any successful points to turn momentum in his favor. Therefore, if you were sympathetic but not agreeing with Fleck, or just didn’t like the original Joker,Joker: Folie à Deuxsimply re-told the events of the first film, without ever successfully advancing beyond those themes, in both the commentary itself or the way in which it was presented.
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Was Never a Film About the Character of the Joker
The main issue with this film though, for me, is this was never a Joker film. It would be a fair argument to sayJokerwasn’t really either, but there were still a lot of comic Joker aspects to the character of Arthur Fleck; he does create chaos in Gotham and, since it felt like a bottle-episode of a film at the time, there was always the promise that Fleck’s Joker could evolve in this universe. Instead, Todd Phillips has made it abundantly clear Fleck is not anywhere near the comic’s Joker, not entertaining nor intelligent in his final hurrah.The scene of Fleck being stabbed to deathfell flat becauseit gave Arthur no agency, which feels completely against the character of the Joker. Not only this, but according to Phillips, in an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Arthur Fleck is most likely not even the real Joker in this universe. If that is the case, it puts off fans of the Joker character, who felt engaged with the idea of a character study on one of Batman’s most iconic villains.
So the question remains, who isJoker: Folie à Deuxfor? Todd Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, and Lady Gaga’s artistic license only? Undoubtedly, artists deserve freedom to explore the ideas they wish to, butaudiences also have the right to criticize how these ideas are explored. Perhaps Todd Phillips should have had more trust in the audience to take the meaning he intended to impart, or perhaps accepted that sometimes art can grow beyond the artist. Ultimately, it’s a great shame that Phillips' D.C. legacy should end like this, with a film that perhaps will find its people one day, but for now, it is just not clear who those people are.
Joker: Folie à Deuxis currently available in theaters in the U.S.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux explores Arthur Fleck’s ongoing struggle with his dual identity as he unexpectedly discovers love and unleashes his hidden musical talent. Set against a backdrop of societal unrest, Arthur’s journey intertwines personal transformation with chaotic encounters, leading to profound shifts in his life and the world around him.
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