In the film set to be Joaquin Phoenix’s return as Gotham’s notorious clown, he finds love and his voice with his leading lady, Lady Gaga as Harleen Quinzel.
Unfortunately, all the hype surrounding this film was just THAT… a hype. The film fell flat even more so as a musical. You’ve got two stars who shine on their own stages, but for some reason it just did not work on the big screen with the two of them.
I really didn’t comprehend the desire to want to turn it into a musical. The first film worked so well with it’s intensity and gore, so why change the formula. Just add a little love from Harleen and some drama sprinkled with a little blood and it would have worked with these two demented lovers.
I will say Joaquin Phoenix slips right back into his iconic role of Arthur Fleck. His physique with his pale skin and his distraught figure was the same as if he never left it, and he finds ways to take the character to even further depths.
Don’t get me wrong, Lady Gaga does delivers a grounded but still captivating performances as Harleen, it’s impressive because it seems like she’s not given a lot to work with.
SYNOPSIS:
From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes “Joker: Folie À Deux,” the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning “Joker,” which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office and until recently was the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”).
“Joker: Folie À Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.
The film also stars Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Catherine Keener (“Get Out,” “Capote”), alongside Zazie Beetz, reprising her role from “Joker.”
Phillips, who was nominated for Oscars for directing, writing and producing “Joker,” directed “Joker: Folie À Deux” from a screenplay by fellow Oscar nominee Scott Silver & Phillips, based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips, Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Joseph Garner. Lady Gaga served as music consultant. The film’s executive producers are Michael E. Uslan, Georgia Kacandes, Silver, Mark Friedberg and Jason Ruder.
Working with Phillips behind the camera are his team from “Joker,” including Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Mark Friedberg, Oscar-nominated editor Jeff Groth, and composer Hildur Guđnadóttir, who won the Oscar for her work on the first film. New to the team is Oscar-nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood,” “Don’t Worry Darling”). Ruder is the film’s executive music producer and the music supervisors are Randall Poster and George Drakoulias. Casting is by Francine Maisler (the “Dune” films, “Challengers”).
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