Joker 2 Movie Review
Sequel to Joker, Todd Phillips brings maturity and polish but certainly less desperate than the first but still filled with chaotic energy that we expect from the filmmaker. Here again, Joker: Folie à Deux comes to haunt Arthur Fleck with a newfound sense of calmness, ensconced within the chill of Arkham, a man whose spirit seems battered by the dull horrors that now comprise his existence. And yet, amidst the drear gaol gloom, something sparks to life-a spark known as Harley.
Fresh air comes in Lady Gaga form as Harley Quinnzel, who brings magnetic life to the role-not only revitalizing the film but reshaping Fleck’s journey on screen-through her act with Phoenix as they masterfully continue this loose-crazy movie Joker, Gaga tugs him ever closer to that explosive passion of love, madness, and music. The two bond over their mutual insanity, but their musical duets-a few of the most emotionally charged sequences of the entire movie-render what might have only been a filmic repetition of another unhappy love tragedy into a symphony of chaos.
It has nothing to do with Arthur and Lee being lovebirds, but rather him teetering on the edge of destruction on thin ice. Harley, bored by her upper-middle-class existence, is drawn to that very unpredictability and anarchic nature in Joker. She doesn’t love him; instead, she sees a reflection of her suppressed chaos and pushes him toward becoming the madman that strikes fear into Gotham.
Phillips directs this time with less frenetic energy, allowing for a more settled narrative that strips back the layers of Arthur’s psyche. Is it him? Still the Joker, or a prisoner in his own persona? The film goes exploring these questions, but again doesn’t feel desperate in the way so many of these sequels do. It feels instead a little maturity and philosophical examining of identity and delusion wrapped inside a twisted love story.
It is while Phoenix actually masters the art of nearing madness, however, that Gaga infuses the movie with its arresting life. She is electrifying-the voice soars through the emotional highs and lows of the movie in a manner that leaves audiences completely in awe. Jointly with him, they sing, they spiral, and they wreak havoc, leaving behind a Gotham that is, once again, teetering on the edge.
We will make a mountain together, Harley whispers to Arthur, a promise only she can give: that she will push him deeper into the hole. Folie à Deux is not just a movie about the Joker descending further into his madness, but a dark duet, a love story in the rhythm of chaos. Bring on Harley Quinn because with her, Joker’s legacy is far from over.
