As with any respective art form or trade, music has the power to speak to an individual in ways destined to relate. Whether it is reminiscent of a particular memory from one’s life, the notes of a particular instrument, or a unique sheen from the sound itself, inspiration could come in the most peculiar of ways. 

If an individual knows what to listen for, then the world will never be silent. 

Digging down deep and having something to say — not merely something to show. Intensity — a force that Joaquin Phoenix brought to Arthur Fleck and how the character stuck with him. While writer and director Todd Phillips had no aspirations to construct a sequel — intending 2019’s Joker to be a one-and-done character study — Phoenix felt an unreadiness to leave the Fleck character behind. The question then became:

How would one be able to continue Arthur Fleck’s story? 

The vision? Captivation. An examination into the idea of evolving entertainment. From trials of public figures to rises of political candidates — captivation transpires not merely because of what is shown, but because of what is said. 

If an individual were to venture away from the internet, industry news outlets, and enter Joker: Folie À Deaux simply from seeing the trailers or promotional posters either at their local theater, or on billboards, then they would find themselves either at one end or the other of contrasting polarization. The individual will either be open-minded as they move forward, or be turned off thinking of a tailor-made philosophy. 

Even being made aware of the secret through passing of small talk, I was still open to witnessing what the filmmakers would bring to this style of storytelling. It would be easy to see how regulars of such storytelling may find this bold risk to be innovative, and find themselves wondering how other characters within the realm of DC lore could have stories be told in said magnitude. It is a shame that such an approach could be seen as such a bold risk. Yet, Phillips listened to Phoenix’s aforementioned feelings, and a dream became reality. 

A continuation of character study emphasized through entitlement and descent — Lawrence Sher’s selections in cinematography further display character ugliness. With Phillips’ selections of various filmmaking techniques, the viewer dives into the behavior of the mindset and witnesses what happens when it is irresponsibly set off course. What happens in specific instances when an individual neglects to step up and take control. In that irresponsibility, the viewer is presented with a bookended theme highlighted through a new character performed by Lady Gaga. Symbolic, the viewer sees the theme as a storytelling element through a myriad of formatting. How specific characters are neither the role of antagonist or protagonist. Yet, instead, the role of victim. Returning to polarization, this ultimately leads to Joker: Folie À Deaux’s biggest downfall. While not the fault of the filmmakers in any mannerism, it becomes a victim of circumstance. 

The wrong release at the wrong time. 

The general public attends the movie theater to escape the dangers of the outside world. Unless the presentation is designed to be of a specific subject matter, the general public would rather not be reminded of real-world events — let alone have such a reminder thrown in their face. With current releases such as The Wild Robot and Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice emphasizing feelings of warmth — reminiscent of comfort to viewers in the vein of a warm blanket, it is understandable that the general public would flock to such presentation rather than one R rated and tailor-made for a cinematic art house. Because of this, it places the critic into a position of difficulty. It would not be fair for the critic to do a comparison and contrast to performances of yesteryear, as each are presented in respective classes of their own. The critic also finds that it would not be fair to classify Joker: Folie À Deaux with a film scaled ranking. At the same time, they need to, as it is a new motion picture release.

Time will tell if Joker: Folie À Deaux will follow its predecessor as an awards season contender. One may even plead the case that the best bet for Warner Brothers is to campaign not merely in the acting categories, but in one specific category. Explaining this would be a spoiler, but this critic believes even such a campaign would be overshadowed by better category contenders in The Wild Robot, or even Twisters. The ball is in Warner Brothers’ court if they would be able to put a dent in it. 

Ironic, one of the primary themes of Joker: Folie À Deaux and its 2019 predecessor center around an ugly presentation of positivity. A message centered around not deficiency, but alacrity. Escalating the belief that, no matter the obstacles one may face, soon, they will be back on top. 

After all, that’s life. 

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(3.5 on a scale of 5) 

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Joker: Folie À Deaux is Now Playing Only In Theaters. 

Filmed for IMAX, Joker: Folie À Deaux is also playing inside Dolby Cinema, 4DX formatting, Screen X, DBOX, XD formatting, and IMAX 70MM 

Check Local Listings to see what formatting Joker: Folie À Deaux is playing in your area.