Joker: Folie à Deux time!

So we start off with a creative Looney Tunes-style opening.

We then reunite with Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix). Fleck is at Arkham State Hospital and he is waiting for his trial to start. Maryanne Stewart (Fleck’s representation) (Catherine Keener) is trying to use the “devil made him do it” argument. We then meet Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (Lady Gaga), and…

I do like Lady Gaga as Lee Quinzel/Harley Quinn.

Anyway, Lee gives Arthur her Joker origin story: daddy issues and an interest in fires. We then find out that Lee is a bit of an Annie Wilkes for the Joker.

Lee shows her interest in fire and Arthur gets solitary confinement. It turns out that Lee is going away because they want to separate her from Arthur. Arthur and Lee have er… ice cream and Arthur sings to Lee because somebody decided to turn this Joker movie into an MGM musical.

Trial time! Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey) tries to go against the devil made him do it argument. We find out from Maryanne that Lee’s dad is living, that Lee is not as interested in fire as she claims and that Lee was at the hospital of her own free will. Lee distracts Arthur from this by claiming that she’s preggers.

Arthur decides to act as his own representation because the powers that be decided that we needed Joaquin Phoenix’s audition tape for a remake of My Cousin Vinny. Cameo time! Gary Puddles (Leigh Gill) and Sophie Dumond (Zazie Beetz) return to give testimonies. At Arkham, Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson) and two guards get creepy with Arthur. This results in the demise of Ricky (Jacob Lofland). 

Arthur is all “Joker no more.” Lee is an Annie Wilkes who likes Misery Paul Sheldon; but, not real Paul Sheldon. Arthur is found guilty; but, a car bomb disrupts the proceedings, affects Harvey, and…

I always knew that Harvey was two-faced.

Arthur runs into more Annie Wilkes; but, he neglects their help. Arthur then runs into Lee and she goes all Annie Wilkes. We also find out that Lee greatly exaggerated her pregnancy and Arthur winds up back at Arkham.

An inmate stabs Arthur in the gut. Arthur dies and it turns out that the inmate is quite a joker.

Joker: Folie à Deux is one of the most difficult movies to give a review to on this blog that I have covered. The musical segments are unique but bizarre. The hospital sequences drag. The courtroom sequences are standard. I did like Lady Gaga. The movie kind of feels like an insult if you liked the first movie.

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