The last thing I expected was for the “Joker: Folie à Deux” to be a musical.
The new movie stars Lady Gaga as Harley “Lee” Quin, the Joker’s girlfriend. Gaga’s performance as Harley was brilliant. She was nonchalant, making her character seem crazy in a subtle way.
The movie is set in the correctional hospital that Arthur Fleck, the Joker, was placed in before his trial. He was noted for his good behavior but had little to no chance of winning his trial.
Fleck pleaded not guilty because his lawyer was building a case around him being mentally ill. Joker was his alter ego; it wasn’t Fleck who killed five people.
The new film makes relations between the two movies, delving into the mental process behind each of the Joker’s murders committed in the first movie.
His mental disorder was triggered by each person he murdered. They showed how each one of his crimes were justified in mind. Like with his mother’s, it showed how cruel she was and the abuse he endured.
While Fleck was in prison, there was a TV show created about him. During the process of his trial, he reminisces about his own show along with Harley. Everything he feels or sees is accompanied by a song.
After meeting Quinn, Fleck’s behavior took a turn. She encouraged him to embrace Joker, which lets him be proud of the way he acted.
The movie had many twists and was very engaging, from the music to each dive into his mind. Every song was an oldies throwback or an original song. With every action the joker took, we understand him more. Like the abuse and manipulation he went through with his mother.
If you enjoy musicals like “La La Land” and movies like, “Birds of Prey,” you’ll likely enjoy this movie as well.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” seems to appeal to a different audience than the first movie. If you are looking for action or a DC villain movie then you might be disappointed. It still very much fits into the DC universe, though, since they have done musical shows before such as “Flash” and “Supergirl” on a collaboration episode called “Duet.”
The writers’ creative turn was unnecessary; this should’ve been a standalone movie. The first movie was dark, just like Joker. Making the Joker sing made the character seem less intimidating.
There is action, just not as much as you would expect from the Joker. The movie was good and will have you wondering what might happen next.
3/5 stars.
