![[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibJnG8MnGRwanqVwsDWKPOXiGVIdM-HmVKZ-tElZexBYguYP0biCAPJI_cTE92FpPioDqJ63THMYk21oXYEP9cyPMNTSXCq3p0bngONDqC_64yciKACrQtyEHIF3A7mWKVzcGXpjEhOqwECV5oC_dH3niOLy3xkRG9Z1ehMz8A3g36fkPJCPmKhx0F7_U=w640-h336-rw "[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux")
Catch the latest from the Joker series, this time with the brilliant Lady Gaga opposite Joaquin Phoenix. Learn about the musicality, character development, and themes that will make Joker 2 stand out in the DC Universe.
Finally, director Todd Phillips' sequel to the highly awarded 2019 film Joker, entitled Joker: Folie à Deux, hits screens. It teams up an all-star cast for this musical thriller: Joaquin Phoenix returns to reprise his Oscar-winning role as Arthur Fleck/Joker and Lady Gaga makes her on-screen debut as Dr. Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn. This movie will further delve into the intricate relationship of these two iconic characters against a backdrop of mental illness, love, and chaos.
While Joker: Folie à Deux has an interestingly visual and musically compensating look into the Joker franchise, thematic depth makes up for character development. Thanks to the great performances of leading actors, this movie does not have much to say: the story is repetitive and rather predictable, failing to maximize its promising premise.
The movie starts with Arthur Fleck, who is now an inmate at Arkham Asylum and meets Dr. Harleen Quinzel. From their first interactions, the chemistry between them forms the groundwork for a strong emotional bond, which flowers into a love affair between the two fairly quickly. Sharing their mental states and bonding over them, they break into song to convey their emotions-a musical that blurs reality and fantasy.
![[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgm7sAVsU3RrDZU8V7cLMlArDiDmbqYKjybHmmvYgI5_L1uiYLFbr10jwt-PjNzxb_miZoeXK0QC3sQ7sLYkMW_N-aKhdGVbQQTfBZp-Xw1UOR1M7bEkUwE1a05s75xCYOYJiBAIG-JXUjf5ihaCD99wHL4sPghfJV0tVYX3rN0W-Cas4XvaAj16PO-Zrc=w640-h360-rw "[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux")
Story Plot Summary
The film opens with patient Arthur Fleck, who is now an inmate at Arkham Asylum and is introduced to Dr. Harleen Quinzel. He feels an instant connection with her through his first interactions, which then blossom into a romantic relationship. They break into song about their feelings and experiences of being troubled by problems with mental health, with the perfect blend of reality and fantasy within the musical numbers.
The film begins with the televised trial of Arthur, where his crazy character is introduced to the audience. Harley Quinn, on the other hand, evolves her character from a patient in psychiatry to a multi-dimensional one with her will and motives. The central theme of the film is the toxic love between Arthur and Harley, showing how this love has contributed to their falling apart into insanity.
![[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikJMI6uiOsHQWTL-OtGkDvVi9XggJLiXTe95tC72AFUWCbykOif9l9Cyx3s02izhcWfJ0P45qIgpoDDecVtyYxQUwcZc13ZRWmoemV74z3vJXmed-sCSVbgeJu61k3MFpRer6_kf9nj0DBD9LY4MSO6ZVv95avqbqGslCe0k7TgtsJI0jX-ubBY4d380Q=w640-h426-rw "[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux")
Actors' Performances
Joaquin Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck/Joker with consistency in his acting, though, and provides a lot of depth in his character. He is powerful but remains one-dimensional since the movie fails to dig into his layers. On the other hand, Lady Gaga has given an artfully cunning and manipulative edge to her character in a manner that has made Harley Quinn the most outstanding feature of this movie. Her character development was underused, though, which had the audience restlessness by the tail end of the movie.
The most striking thing regarding character development in Joker: Folie à Deux is that it truly succeeds and fails at the same time. Both Arthur and Harley have interesting charm with great dynamics, yet are shallow in their arcs. The narrative structure in this movie does not really allow for much in the way of character growth, especially when it comes to Harley Quinn. This is because the lack of development feels more like a series of events rather than an emotional journey that the duo goes on.
Visual Style
The cinematography in Joker: Folie à Deux is strikingly beautiful, juxtaposing dark and vivid colors to represent the inner worlds of the characters. Editing is perfect; often, the movie uses musical sequences to exhibit the turmoil going inside the characters. However, this at times feels repetitive and reliant on the style from the first movie, which takes away from the originality of telling the story.
Sound Design
The soundtrack by Hildur Guðnadóttir is solid, though often forgettable. Most singing performances are alright, although the songs themselves aren't especially memorable. The sound design does well to capture the chaotic atmosphere of Gotham City, though at times it feels like overcompensation for the underwhelming narrative.
Underlying Themes
The movie elaborates on toxic love, mental disorders, and the blurring of reality and fantasy. However, not all of these themes go deep enough to create meaning, making them a bit shallow. More often than not, the predictability and repetitions that occur at some point are because of its narrative insistence on its own mythological importance.
![[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNmjiB-I3Cji8noAiMTvgjX0sI3QNBw_77OCQ7zyJeI7EHZSnk-ig3z41DSzpgCr1epnmj1Ud5Cf6Lq-_g-8hpeSZaS7IcSIlPfal6EHeWCYimr8PfCR-h2ZdMgtezB7cr9jZJWjFe5nQCfdbsUAsh5JX9njBgm1uBNlqEJId64h1GR1I5HNPc4y5PGy4=w640-h360-rw "[REVIEW] Joker 2: Folie à Deux")
Cultural Context
At the same time, however, Joker: Folie à Deux can be said to comment on fan culture and how the media reflects our view of reality. It does feel more like an afterthought than some sort of core theme, though. The cultural context of the movie largely is defined by its predecessor, making it more of an extension rather than an evolution.
In Conclusion, I find Joker: Folie à Deux to be quite an interesting movie, though it does not live up to expectations at all. The musical element was an interesting twist, giving a whole different dimension to developing the plot, not enough to save the movie from such a predictable and repetitive storyline. Acting is still great on Joaquin Phoenix's side, while the character of Lady Gaga is not developed to its fullest potential. The themes themselves are pretty interesting but not extremely well discussed, thus disappointing a viewer.
Visually great and musically intriguing, the story lacks depth in themes and character development. It gives powerful acting from lead actors and contains a storyline that is repetitive in beats and predictable. What started off as a promising premise-Joker: Folie à Deux-needs to realize its fullest potential instead of leaving viewers somewhat disappointed. If you are a fan of the original Joker, this sequel may hold some redeeming value for you; otherwise, it is not a must-see if you're looking for a movie with a great storyline or character development. This review of Joker: Folie à Deux is bound to be balanced, dwelling on the strengths and weaknesses of the movie. By digging deep into the plot, character analysis, cinematography, and themes of this movie, we can attain a better understanding of why this sequel is considered an improvement but at the same time missed the mark on so many factors.
#Joker2 #LadyGaga #JoaquinPhoenix #MusicalThriller #DCComics
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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