Despite
its
attempt
at
compounding
the
complexity
of
Arthur
Fleck,
watching
Joker:
Folie
à
Deux
is
a
slog,
sighs
Deepa
Gahlot.
The
tributaries
flowing
out
of
the
DC
Universe
keep
the
various
franchises
flowing,
as
origin
stories
emerge,
characters
crisscross
and
the
sequels,
prequels
never
end.
In
2019’s
Joker,
Todd
Phillps
told
the
tragic
origin
story
of
the
manic
villain
who
appears
in
Batman’s
Gotham
City.
Arthur
Fleck
aka
Joker
(Joaquin
Phoenix)
never
recovered
from
his
traumatic
childhood
and
killed
his
tormentors,
including
television
show
host
Murray
Franklin
(Robert
De
Niro)
on
national
television.
With
that
perverse
tendency
to
make
heroes
out
of
deviants,
Joker,
with
his
clown-painted
face,
inspires
a
rush
of
violence
in
Gotham
that
leads
to
the
deaths
of
Bruce
Wayne’s
parents.
Wayne
goes
on
to
become
the
crime-fighting
Batman.
The
film
had
wrapped
up
the
story
satisfactorily,
there
was
nothing
really
left
for
the
sequel,
Joker:
Folie
à
Deux,
except
maybe
the
entry
of
two
more
DC
characters,
Harley
Quinn
and
Harvey
Dent
aka
Two
Face.
Or
maybe
a
comment
on
the
transient
nature
of
‘influencer’
fame
(though
the
film
is
set
in
the
1980s),
and
redemption
for
Joker,
who
never
wanted
the
chaos
he
inadvertently
set
off
in
a
city
already
seething
with
discontent.
Joker:
Folie
à
Deux
opens
with
an
animated
musical
number
that
shows
Arthur
Fleck
losing
a
fight
against
his
literal
shadow,
that
puts
on
the
red
suit
and
clown
make-up
to
impersonate
Arthur,
so
that
he
is
blamed
for
the
trail
of
violence
the
shadow
committed.
Is
Arthur
really
a
split
personality
or
is
the
Joker
just
a
coping
mechanism
for
him,
as
is
his
unprovoked
hysterical
laughter?
The
terrifyingly
cadaverous
Arthur
is
in
the
hellish
Arkham
State
prison,
awaiting
trial,
while
experts
decide
whether
his
insanity
plea
is
valid,
or
whether
he
is
fit
to
stand
trial.
His
sympathetic
lawyer
and
a
social
worker
sent
to
meet
him
are
faced
with
a
recalcitrant
Arthur,
who
looks
broken
and
defeated.
Then,
Lee
Quinzel
(Lady
Gaga)
makes
an
appearance,
and
suddenly
he
has
a
reason
to
live.
The
film
treats
their
romance
with
fantasy
musical
numbers,
which,
after
a
point,
just
hold
up
the
proceedings
—
as
if
they
were
stuffed
just
to
pad
up
the
running
time
because
the
plot
started
fizzling
out.
But
like
the
rest
of
his
followers
—
seen
in
brief
glimpses
—
Lee
is
in
love
with
Joker.
The
sad,
guilt-ridden
Arthur
does
not
fit
into
her
‘build
a
mountain’
fantasy.
Eventually,
Arthur’s
‘Trial
of
the
Century’
begins,
with
Harvey
Dent
as
the
prosecutor
amidst
mob
and
media
frenzy.
Arthur
fires
his
lawyer
and
defends
himself,
turning
the
trial
into
a
circus,
over
the
judge’s
furious
gavel
banging.
In
the
process,
he
also
destroys
the
Joker
myth,
but
the
film
ends
with
an
opening
for
another
sequel
if
required.
Despite
its
attempt
at
compounding
the
complexity
of
Arthur
Fleck,
and
several
nods
to
past
auteurs
(Martin
Scorsese,
Vincente
Minnelli,
and
of
course,
Charlie
Chaplin),
watching
Joker:
Folie
à
Deux
is
a
slog.
The
first
film
was
a
critical
and
commercial
triumph,
with
several
Oscar
nominations
and
awards.
This
one
just
burdens
Joaquin
Phoenix
with
the
task
of
manipulating
the
audience’s
emotions
as
the
clown,
who
should
be
making
people
laugh,
but
scares
and
repels
them
instead.
Lady
Gaga
was
brought
in
for
her
singing
prowess
but
she
delivers
a
decent
performance
too,
as
the
disturbed
woman,
who
is
a
fame-junkie.
Joker:
Folie
à
Deux
Review
Rediff
Rating:
