Warner Bros.
Director Todd Phillips’Joker : Folie à Deuxhas premier in theaters , shocking the world as one of the enceinte commercial and vital dashing hopes of 2024 . give the extraordinary success and impact of the original film , there was little chance it would live up to such unbelievable expectation . And since not everyone is a fan of musicals , the reception was tie to be factious . While this sequel has its fair share of fault , it certainly is n’t worse thanMorbiusorMadame Web , as some pundits are suggesting .
It go bad without saying that Joaquin Phoenix ’s and Gaga ’s mesmerizing carrying out are highlight of the film . However , there are many redeeming qualities that make it one of the most distinctive and thought - provoking comical book films in late old age . Since the hate train for this film is still allow out steam , here ’s whyJoker : Folie à Deuxis far from the defective DC pic of all time .
Warner Bros.
The production is impressive
It would be a crime to denounce this subsequence without recognise all the hard work accomplished by the talent behind the scene . Like the originalJoker , this sequel features beautiful , colorful visuals courtesy of cameraman Lawrence Sher , as well as an formidable score from composer Hildur Guðnadóttir . The movie ’s glorious visuals and speech sound are on full display in the notional musical sequence featuring Joker and Harley . Another smooth example is the extraordinary long take of Arthur start the courthouse after a car bomb calorimeter goes off , which adds to the movie ’s remarkable visual trend .
The filmmakers arguably overdid it with the vocal and dance sequences , but many of them are still batch to behold , especially considering comic book films seldom do melodious numbers . And no matter what people say , there are fourth dimension when Phoenix sings very well . One would think Arthur could ’ve found more success as a nightclub Isaac M. Singer than a comic , but that ’s an argument for another article .
Joker: Folie á Deux has something to say about mental health
Folie à Deuxcontinues the first film ’s critique of society ’s coarse , unsupportive treatment of the disfranchised , particularly those struggling with their genial wellness . This is seen in how the guards at Arkham State Hospital maltreatment Arthur and all the other captive they ’re supposed to observe over . Likewise , Harvey Dent and much of Gotham think Arthur should get the death penalization instead of more time in a psychiatric infirmary .
Only Arthur ’s lawyer , Maryanne , shows compassionateness to Arthur and try out to get him the aid he needs , believing he has dissociative identity disorder ( DID ) . While it is a disconfirming stereotype that genial sickness , including DID , leads to force , Maryanne ’s attempts to help Arthur establish on her inaccurate diagnosis still display the empathy and support that struggling mass need but have been sorely traverse .
However , this sequel sends another strong message about how mass perceive and obsess over celebrities in real aliveness , particularly felon . Since Arthur made headline for the murder he committed , the people around him proclaim him for his heinous crimes or exploit his infamy for their own personal gain .
Its depiction of toxic celebrity culture is topical
This toxic obsession with Arthur is also displayed in the medium , with a TV personality interviewing and pass judgment him for his past crimes with picayune involvement in Arthur as a human being . There is even a goggle box movie about Joker within the world of the motion picture , which caused Arthur ’s former love interest , Sophie , to be harassed by newsman to the point where she had to extirpate her lifespan and move out of Gotham .
Such a message proves ever timely in this geezerhood when people constantly follow celebrities online and zealously digest sensational , and often exploitative , true crime photographic film and TV shows . Many avid dependable law-breaking fans have hounded the great unwashed like Sophie because of their link to famous law-breaking , indicate how the media profits from mass ’s suffering . Even Lady Gaga ’s Lee is the stalker sports fan that many real - life-time celebrities have amount across , as she admits herself to Arkham and lies about herself so she can be the Joker ’s lady friend .
It’s a meta character study
What makesFolie à Deux‘s commentary tolerate out the most is how it deconstructs the Joker as a character . Many audiences were let down in how the subsequence “ undid ” the original film after the latter coiffe Arthur up to be the Clown Prince of Crime . However , Arthur flat - out say in the first film that he was n’t someone who could start a bm . Everyone just took the murders he committed and made him into a messianic figure who was remain firm up to the tainted social elite . Arthur only lean into that prototype put upon him because he was so despairing for people to like and acknowledge him .
Arthur ’s lawyer tries to convince him that Lee and his fanatic supporters only like him for what he did , but he keep to behave like Joker for their dear and attention , cracking jocularity and name a vista in court for their entertainment . Arthur ’s song and dance numbers actually symbolize how he ’s execute an deed as Joker and “ giving the people what they want . ” While Arthur try out to convince himself that the Joker is his true self , the film does a surprising 180 that exhibit how little they know him .
It was all an act — and that’s the ultimate point of Joker: Folie á Deux
After three sentry go at Arkham ill-treatment Arthur and murder one of his supporters , he realizes it ’s senseless to keep up his fantasy as Joker and that this is n’t the life he desire . He ca n’t be the Clown Prince of Crime that his supporters and the hearing want him to be . He just wants to be Arthur Fleck , but the earth only manage about the Joker . And so , when Arthur gives up on being the Joker and takes responsibility for his law-breaking , Lee and many of his help drop off interest in him . The fact that many audience are reacting to the film like Arthur ’s supporter at this point very much formalize the celluloid ’s message .
Many masses revere thatJokerwould inspire real - world violence likeThe Dark Knight . Sinceits premier in 2019 , Phoenix ’s goof - confront character has become the symbol used in several political protests . However , this sequel remind consultation that the Joker , despite his valid points about how flawed smart set is , is n’t someone who should be idolized for his natural process . He ’s a baddie and a murderer who charge the world for his actions so he can slash out and fulfill his ego .
All in all , Joker : Folie à Deuxdivided its hearing and garnered controversy like its predecessor . But at a time when audiences continue to kick about risible book moving picture being repetitious and too weighty on fan divine service , Todd Phillips and his squad defied people ’s arithmetic mean with a memorable deconstructionism of one of pop culture ’s most infamous physique , once again holding up a mirror to viewer and society as a whole . Arthur Fleck is n’t the villain people want , but he may be the one people deserve .
Joker : Folie à Deuxis now fiddle in theaters .
