Musical “Joker” Sequel a Folly

Director Todd Phillips had a very novel approach for his 2019 take on the Joker character embodied by Joaquin Phoenix in an acclaimed, unhinged performance of the title role with Gotham City inhabitants in a “mean streets” milieu. Filmmaker Phillips and his star Phoenix return for the sequel, and although it has some flickers of inspiration and takes a big swing by being a hybrid courtroom drama in the form of a golden age musical, Joker: Folie a Deux (D) is an unmitigated disaster in execution. In an asylum while awaiting trial for a half dozen murders, Arthur Fleck/Joker meets a kindred spirit played by Lady Gaga, and a bad romance ensues, complete with real and imagined production numbers of showtunes such as “Get Happy,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and “That’s Entertainment!” About one and a half of the musical numbers actually work, but with Joaquin croaking out a rocker voice and Gaga sing-whispering with little gusto to blend in duets, it’s not a pretty soundscape. I love musicals and cringed each time a song started. It’s mostly like a broken record. The film is all over the map in terms of tone and doesn’t clearly articulate its thesis if there is one. It is dull, drab and a chore to watch. Goodwill related to the first film’s originality is undercut with this debacle of a follow-up.

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