Folie à Deux fails because of Lady Gaga's Harley Quinn: review

The post Joker: Folie à Deux fails Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn: Review appeared first on Consequence.

On paper, Joker: Folie à Deux promised to be an unforgettable experience, even for those who weren’t necessarily a big fan of Todd Phillips’ 2019 joker. The first film found an enthusiastic fan base for its nihilistic take on the Clown Prince of Crime and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for his portrayal of the miserable Arthur Fleck. And the sequel boasted musical numbers and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn – insane choices for a film of this nature and therefore all too apt.

Unfortunately, while this follow-up provides the musical numbers in which Lady Gaga largely does her best, Phillips’ sequel proves to be a confused love story that falls apart due to its inability to express anything thematically substantial or original. There are parts of this film that prove to be truly compelling, but they rely largely on the passionate commitment of the leads. Phoenix and his HR Giger-inspired shoulder blades are back, and this time… he’s dancing! Much like this film dances around its points.

Slide for two The film opens with a Looney Tunes-style cartoon (complete with the official Warner Bros. logo and classic theme music), which initially suggests that it is a recap of the first film. But no, it actually raises the big question that hangs over the sequel: Is Arthur suffering from a form of dissociative identity disorder as manifested in his “Joker” persona? Or is he just a sad and abused man who uses violence against the world? There are a lot talk about this question, but Slide for two never delves deeply enough into the moral questions it raises to say anything of substance.

Slide for two Thanks to the always reliable structure of a courtroom drama, the film offers a little more plot dynamics than the first film: it takes place relatively close to the events of jokerThe backbone of the sequel is Arthur’s trial for all the murders he committed in the first film. However, this only adds a little to the pacing, as the film is more interested in its musical numbers, most of which exist entirely in Arthur’s head, as he processes his newfound love for that sweet blonde mental patient in Arkham’s less secure ward.

Ultimately, the problem is that while it’s billed as a two-handed device, Slide for twoHis energies are focused much more on Arthur than on “Lee Quinzel”, with much of the latter’s screen time rooted in Arthur’s fantasies of them together. And the moments that supposedly represent reality don’t do much to flesh her out as a character, even scenes where Lee sings about her love.

While joker was consumed by its grungy Scorsese-esque vibes and musical nature Slide for two borrows more from Bob Fosse, albeit clumsily; The playlist is heavily based on old standards and musicals from before 1981, including songs like “That’s Entertainment” by The band wagon and (of course) “The Joker” by The Roar of Grease Paint – The Smell of the Crowd.

Lady Gaga brings her own voice and physicality to Lee, a performance with plenty of fresh nuances, but despite her best efforts, this version of Harley Quinn unfortunately remains largely in cipher territory. The changes in the character’s backstory simultaneously give her more and less agency – somehow she falls in love with Joker before she even really gets to know him and becomes completely dedicated to his cause. But at a certain point, nothing is required of her except her unwavering support for her husband.

Joker Folie a Deux Review Joaquin Phoenix Lady Gaga

Joker: Folie a Deux (Warner Bros.)

The lyrics of Gaga’s two original songs on the soundtrack, “Folie à Deux” and “Happy Mistake”, reveal the lack of development that Lee experiences: the first is a song about how Lee is “madly in love” with Joker, and Bei Secondly, it’s a breakup song that says: “I’m feeling bad. If I could fix the broken parts, then I would make a happy mistake.” The new accompanying album harlequin does a good job of portraying the character’s entire arc throughout the film – in the context of the film, it’s just not that much of an arc, other than someone thinking she’s in love and then deciding she’s not.

Slide for two is actually a strange viewing experience for any long-time fan of Harley Quinn, as it harkens back to every previous incarnation Batman: The Animated SeriesHe was more successful in bringing out Harley’s inner life. Here is her very first appearance TASin which the cartoon Harley quickly turns out to be more than just a random friend. Although she is devoted to Mr. J, she also likes to commit crimes for the sheer joy of it.

Yes, severe abuse is ingrained in Harley’s classic origin story, but that only adds pathos to the character if she’s been able to deal with it. Slide for two removes the abuse aspect, which is a striking decision that should arguably strengthen the character more, but instead Lee is reduced to the role of superficial superfan whose involvement with Joker feels more like a whim than a truly substantial relationship.

While it’s disappointing that Lady Gaga’s interpretation can’t match the performances of Arleen Sorkin, Margot Robbie or Kaley Cuoco, it’s at least reassuring to know that there are still more convincing versions of the character. And in fairness Slide for twoit shows some signs of understanding a female point of view. Perhaps the sharpest scene in the film is the return of Zazie Beetz as Sophie, Arthur’s former “dream girl,” who must testify in court about how her life turned out after she was publicly linked to Joker.

The short version: Sophie and her daughter had to leave town after being harassed by Joker fans and blamed for his actions. She is worried about her safety. If it were 2024, she would have deleted all her social media accounts a long time ago. The fear in her voice is the fear of every woman who has been the subject of a violent, angry mob in recent decades. It’s the closest the film comes to conveying a true point of view and showing real awareness.

At the end, while Phoenix is locked up when it comes to playing Arthur, Slide for two suffers from the same lack of depth as its predecessor; a pastiche of smarter and larger films that at least has some fun stylistic touches before coming to an unsatisfying conclusion. His worst crime, however, is becoming forgettable – and ultimately failing.

Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on Friday, October 4th.

Joker: Folie à Deux fails because of Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn: review
Liz Shannon Miller

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