As a die-hard fan of Lady Gaga and her incredible talent, I must admit that I was thrilled when she was cast as Harley Quinn in “Joker: Folie à Deux.” The idea of seeing this versatile artist bring her unique flair to the iconic DC Comics character seemed like a match made in heaven. However, upon watching the film, I found myself disappointed and frustrated, not just because of its disappointing performance at the box office, but also due to the lackluster portrayal of Harley Quinn that left many fans, including myself, yearning for more.
The aftermath of the movie “The Disaster” is not limited to its poor critical reception and dismal box office performance. In a recent interview, Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution at Warner Bros., discussed the disappointing collapse of a film once highly anticipated – suggesting that part of the blame may rest on the casting choice for Harley Quinn.
In the follow-up to the 2019 billion-dollar blockbuster, Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, who serves as the Joker character in the world crafted by director Todd Phillips for much of the film. For the most part, this is true. In his second appearance, the troubled protagonist finds himself alongside a Harley Quinn portrayed by Lady Gaga, an eccentric singer and Academy Award winner, whose casting appears to have been brilliantly thought out.
Goldstein offered some insights about the underperformance of “Joker: Folie à Deux” during his conversation with the Wall Street Journal. Acknowledging that the film didn’t meet the financial expectations the studio had aimed for, which is hard to dispute, Goldstein suggested that the “core male audience” who made the initial movie a massive hit found it challenging to relate to Lady Gaga’s portrayal of Harley Quinn. He also mentioned, albeit unnecessary, that this was his personal opinion.
The movie didn’t land with audiences the way we wanted it to.
Did Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn Ruin Joker: Folie à Deux?
The reason why Joker: Folie à Deux fell short of expectations can’t be summed up easily as there were numerous aspects of the film that didn’t meet the mark, despite Lady Gaga receiving positive reviews from critics. However, if Goldstein’s analysis is accurate and audiences weren’t satisfied with Lady Gaga’s portrayal of “Harleen Quinzel aka Lee,” it might have less to do with Gaga’s performance and more with the fact that the character is associated with a more well-known version of the Joker’s love interest.
Before portraying the “typical” Barbie character, Margot Robbie has played Harley Quinn in more live-action films than any other actress, excluding animated roles by others like Kaley Cuoco. She first appeared as Harley in the 2016 film Suicide Squad, and since then she’s reprised the role in Birds of Prey and James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Robbie’s delightfully eccentric portrayal of DC’s blonde bombshell who enjoys causing chaos is a performance that sets quite a high standard.
Despite some possible inaccuracies in comparing the two interpretations of Harley Quinn, it’s not just that issue that has put Joker: Folie à Deux in a precarious position. From its controversial musical aspects to the shocking twist that essentially unravels much of what the initial film offered, there are numerous factors contributing to the rapid addition of this sequel to the list of most disheartening follow-ups by both audiences and critics.
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2024-10-08 04:02