Film Review - Joker: Folie a Deux
October 01, 2024
2019’s “Joker” was meant to be a single film. The production team promised as much, working to give the Clown Prince of Crime his “Taxi Driver” moment with a psychological study of a broken man slowly losing himself to insanity. The feature wasn’t just a hit, but a phenomenon, outgrossing “Batman” movies as people lined up to watch star Joaquin Phoenix have his way with an iconic character. The picture explored a soiled world of sin and pain, ending on a note of chaos that wasn’t meant to be developed in sequels. The one-off is now a franchise, with major box office returns inspiring a follow-up in “Joker: Folie a Deux” (my French is a little rusty, but I think the title loosely translates to “big paydays for all”), with co-writer/director Todd Phillips trying to squeeze a little more misery out of this universe. Unfortunately, the teat is dry this time around, as “Folie a Deux” adds nothing to the “Joker” experience beyond musical numbers, with this round of hard stares and cigarette smoking periodically broken up by uninspired moments of song and dance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com
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