Joker: Folie à Deux begins with a Looney Tunes type cartoon reenacting the end scene from Joker using animation in a very entertaining bit. From there, the movie takes on a grim tone, despite Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) occasionally breaking out into song -- sometimes melancholy, but as he falls in love -- sometimes more upbeat. That's not to say these are musical productions -- at times he's just singing to himself in a fantasy-like state.
Awaiting trial for his crimes, Arthur is now living at Arkham Asylum, where the conditions are bleak. The inmates have to walk down a hall each morning carrying a pot of their human waste and dump it, then return to their cells. The lead guard, Jackie Sullivan, played by Brendan Gleeson, takes a certain joy in getting Arthur to demean himself in order to earn a prized cigarette.
Something changes in Arthur when he spots a fellow inmate in a different area of the asylum, taking part in a singing class. Her name is Lee (Lady Gaga) and she's obviously enthralled by him. Arthur doesn't know whether to believe Sullivan when he says he's arranged for Arthur to join the class.
Meanwhile, Arthur's lawyer, Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), is prepping him for his trial. She's hoping to prove that Arthur has a split personality so she can get him into a different institution where he can get some help for his mental illness.
The most poignant song Arthur sings is "If You go Away," the English version of the Jacques Brel masterpiece "Ne Me Quitte Pas," and Arthur sings the French lyric at one point, a beautiful nod to the original song and to the French title of the film.
Overall, the film is bleak. From the first film, and some mentions in this one, we know Arthur had a childhood of abuse and neglect and continued to experience abuse as an adult, ridiculed for being unique and different from the average person, and now in the asylum, he's physically abused by the guards, as are other inmates. It seems his lawyer is his only hope, but Arthur places equal importance on the things Lee has promised him, believing that she can help him escape and live out a fantasy life -- fantasy is something he's very familiar with.
The visuals, especially when you view the film in IMAX, are crystal clear and even during the scenes that take place in the asylum, offer stunning views and close-ups.
All the performances are excellent, but Joaquin Phoenix once again excels and compels you to pay full attention with every scene he's in. When Arthur's emotion, which he usually keeps hidden, suddenly emerges, it's poignant and at times, heartbreaking. Joaquin's brilliant performance makes the entire film worth your while. He won an Oscar for the first film and with this one being quite different in tone, it would be criminal if he doesn't get at least another nomination this time around. ~Alexandra Heilbron
4.5 out of 5 stars
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What!! It was a terrible idea and a terrible movie!I I may never be able to get over this knowing that the first Joker was genius.