FILM REVIEW
JOKER: FOLIE A DEUX
Rated R
138 Minutes
Released October 4th
“Folie a Deux” is a French medical term for an identical medical disorder shared by two people in close contact. Lady Gaga’s performance in Joker: Folie a Deux is exquisite. Her mode of expression is song, and it really manifests here, as she does not so much sing, but blends her song into her speech so that it becomes her mode of expression. Unfortunately, most audiences are not perceiving this brilliance from Gaga because they expect to see a comic book movie, and that’s not what this film is.
I would call it a musical drama. Director Todd Phillips has chosen to use a sort of musical style, with Joaquin Phoenix as “Arthur Fleck/Joker” and Lady Gaga as “Lee Quinzel/ Harley Quinn” singing many of their lines. Phillips and composer Hildur Gudnadottir have captured that elusive timing that makes breaking from speech into song seem natural.
With Lady Gaga’s extraordinary talent and skill, Phoenix’s months of song and dance training, and the rich and emotional score by Gudnadottir, I find that it all works. There’s even a parody of the classic Sonny and Cher Show (1976-77). Phoenix gives a memorable performance and proves to be an excellent musical performer, though his character is excruciatingly sad throughout, so much so that it made me feel great despair watching him.
This “Joker” has no forays into a lighter plane, and it’s not an action movie. Characters whom you believe might bring redemption may surprise you. The mood is relentlessly dark. The movie opens with a cartoon called “Me and My Shadow,” which seems to suggest that Joker is going to become a shadow of himself, which is exactly what happens
Phillips is known for The Hangover (2009) and its sequels, Part II and Part III. The essence of those movies grew darker in the later editions. Perhaps he’s following the same recipe in this sequel to his Joker (2019), drawing his audience in with the candy of upbeat and funny, and then let them slide down a dark hole as he stands at the top laughing. In Joker, the titular character could be celebrated. Here he slips into a depressive malaise, full of repression and unleashed anger.
Lady Gaga and Phoenix put their hearts into training and preparing for these roles. Phoenix won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the 2019 Joker. For Folie a Deux, he trained extensively in vocals and tap dancing. He hadn’t taken tap classes since the age of 8, so the large-scale dance numbers required 2 hours a day of training for months. As a tap dancer myself, I can vouch that proficiency in that art requires huge dedication. Phoenix is so good in his dance numbers; I wondered if there was a double doing the actual tapping.
Per Phillips, “There’s no CGI, no face replacement, there’s no stand-in for this dude.” Lady Gaga encouraged Phoenix to sing live, and he urged her to sing without her learned technique, to unlock her character’s voice. The result is a very real, earthy rendition of both their characters.” The two actors participated in writing for their characters, learning changes on the fly before shooting a scene. Phoenix said they inspired each other with their musical performances.
The supporting cast members are superb. Brendan Gleeson stands out as a realistic prison guard, who is both funny and mean. Catherine Keener’s “Maryanne Stewart” is a window to compassion and reality as Joker’s attorney, and Harry Lawtey as “Harvey Dent” appears to be nerdy but takes command of the courtroom.
I didn’t dislike the experience of this film as much as some, because I love Lady Gag’s musical sensibility. She “stuck the landing” of this unpredictable, dangerous nymph with a resounding emotional thud. In my estimation, this is her best cinematic performance so far. I would like to see what Lady Gaga and Phoenix could do together in a more upbeat musical. This movie is very well-made, though excruciatingly painful to watch.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
