As someone who grew up with a love for both comic books and musical theater, I found myself in an unusual but delightful predicament when I watched Joker: Folie à Deux. Now, let me tell you, I’ve seen my fair share of superhero adaptations and Broadway shows, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what to expect. Boy, was I wrong!
A common misunderstanding some folks might hold about me is that I’m a fan of all comic book movies. However, the reality is that for me to truly enjoy a comic book movie, it needs to be the right one – the one that resonates with me and keeps my attention throughout.
Speaking of movies, especially ones like the Captain America series, I’m absolutely interested! In truth, I appreciate a good portion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and am eagerly awaiting future releases. Yet, there’s one aspect about the MCU that sometimes bothers me – it tends to stick to what’s familiar, which is likely why many people enjoy it so much. However, when it dares to step out of its comfort zone, as in the case of Eternals, which happens to be my favorite MCU film, it often gets criticized as the “worst” Marvel production.
To put it simply, my reaction to “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the follow-up to the acclaimed DC film “Joker,” seems to differ from many others. While I didn’t find the original particularly remarkable (beyond its Best Picture nomination), I found myself enjoying its sequel, despite it receiving criticism throughout the year. Could this make me an outlier? Possibly. More likely than not, yes. However, let me share my reasons for appreciating it nonetheless.
Unlike The First Movie, Joker: Folie A Deux Took Some Real Risks
I recently expressed my feelings about not finding the movie “Joker” particularly impressive. It seems that many people have drawn parallels between the first “Avatar” and “Ferngully“, as well as “Dances With Wolves“. In a similar vein, some critics have suggested that the debut of “Joker” was merely a blend of two of Scorsese’s masterpieces, specifically “Taxi Driver” and “The King of Comedy“. Indeed, these comparisons do hold water.
I found the film “Joker” somewhat uninteresting because it felt overly familiar and didn’t measure up to other movies mentioned earlier. Yet, nothing quite compares to the unique nature of “Joker: Folie à Deux”. It dared to push boundaries, with some outcomes being questionable but still captivating.
Initially, when I learned that it would be a musical, I must admit I had doubts and thought it might turn out to be a “flop”, much like many others. However, contrary to what most people seemed to be saying (based on the loud criticisms I’ve heard about the movie for an entire year), I found myself genuinely enjoying it.
In this film, all significant emotional scenes are conveyed through musical performances, leaving me quite amazed by their execution. For instance, there’s a scene where Arthur Fleck and Lady Gaga’s character, Lee Quinzel, watch a movie together, but in an unexpected turn of events, she lights the entire building on fire. The scene is already striking, but when accompanied by music, it becomes indelibly etched in my memory.
The film’s structure revolves around scenes such as these, and though I wouldn’t claim to have loved every part of it, I can say that I had a much better experience watching this one compared to the initial film, which was not enjoyable for me in the slightest.
I Like Musicals A Lot More Than I Like Comic Book Movies, And Joker: Folie A Deux Feels More Like The Former Rather Than The Latter
One reason I find myself drawn to “Folie à Deux” over the initial film is due to my strong preference for musicals compared to comic book adaptations. While it may surprise those who know me well given my extensive history with comic book films (and my tendency to make others watch them too), this statement holds true.
I’d much prefer to watch any of the musicals that received the Best Picture award, compared to almost any comic book film produced so far, with the exception of Dredd, which happens to be my top pick for a comic book movie.
I’m quite fond of musicals; if they’re well-made (and let’s face it, there are many poorly made ones), they can really capture my heart. For instance, among the numerous films I’ve watched this year, I don’t believe anything will surpass Wicked, as I enjoyed it more in its movie form than when it was a Broadway production.
This film musical is absolutely packed with everything I could dream of – grand scenes, stunning costumes, catchy tunes, and more! In fact, even if a blockbuster like “Avengers: Endgame” had been released this year, I’d still pick “Wicked” without hesitation. I’m completely sincere about that.
Given a choice between watching a musical comic book movie and one similar to the original Joker, I’d probably go for the musical. However, what truly piques my interest about Folie à Deux isn’t just that it’s a musical; it’s something else entirely, which I’ll discuss next.
In Fact, I Like That Joker: Folie A Deux Doesn’t Seem Concerned With Being Based On A Comic Book Character At All
Similar to many others, I found myself deeply engrossed in the latest HBO series, “The Penguin,” despite my personal dislike for the character Oz Cobb. What captivated me was its apparent focus on crafting compelling character narratives over adhering strictly to a classic comic book tale.
In essence, one could argue that the movie “Folie à Deux” stands alone in its narrative. Though it relies on the storyline of the initial film for existence, it doesn’t seem overly preoccupied with the events of the first film or the fact that it’s a comic book adaptation.
It’s clear now why many viewers disliked the movie. They expected a continuation with a tone resembling the original, but ended up watching Joaquin Phoenix crooning “For Once in My Life” instead.
In this musical adaptation, I believe we gain deeper insights into Joker’s mental state through his emotional performances compared to his actions in the initial film, such as shooting Robert De Niro’s character. This movie seems more focused on portraying the characters’ feelings rather than presenting anything flashy or extreme. Arthur Fleck is a complex character who is both captivated by his newfound fame yet perplexed by it, and many of the songs reflect these conflicting emotions.
This movie seems to have a unique, indie-comic-book vibe, setting it apart from the high-budget blockbuster that didn’t succeed as expected. Yet, I appreciate its distinctiveness for this very reason. Overall, it was well done.
I Also Think Lady Gaga Adds A Spark That Wasn’t Present In The First Movie
As a passionate cinephile, let me express my personal take on the initial film: The acting left me feeling less than satisfied. While I acknowledge that Joaquin Phoenix snagged an Oscar for his portrayal of the Joker, and understand that many view him as one of the greatest Jokers ever (though I’d argue Jack Nicholson holds that title), I must confess that I’ve never been particularly wowed by his performance.
Frankly, I’m not entirely convinced by Phoenix’s portrayal of the Joker, despite being a fan of his singing talents, which we’ve already seen in the movie “Walk the Line”.
That said, Lady Gaga offers a dynamite performance, and is the true spark of this film.
In the movie, every second she’s on screen is my favorite part, and I couldn’t help but wish there was more of her. Her character portrays a woman who is infatuated with the notion of the Joker, rather than the person Arthur Fleck. She even carries makeup for him to use before their visit, focusing more on their romantic moments than on his personal side.
She is also a conflicted character, but for a different reason. In a lot of ways, she’s a stand-in for all of the mentally disturbed people who fall in love with murderers. She has a constant closeness with death (an infatuation, even), and we see this (and more importantly hear this) in her various musical numbers where her voice tells so much of her story. Honestly, I’d rather just have this film focused on Lady Gaga rather than Phoenix’s Joker-persona. She was the best part of the whole movie.
Are you also brave enough to admit that you enjoyed Joker: Folie à Deux?
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2024-12-23 13:07