Film Review - "Joker: Folie a' Deux"

This one's for you, Tom...

Joker: Folie a' Deux

Directed by Todd Phillips

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and Brendan Gleeson

I'll admit, my feelings on the original Joker have changed since its release. The pacing is off, the script is a tad unfocused, while at the same time it spends too much time beating the protagonist down to get to a point where he can become The Joker, and the inclusion of The Wayne Family doesn't add much beyond "Bat-flavor". 

That...and the idea of The Joker turning as a result of mental illness just...I don't know it doesn't sit right with me but that's a topic for a different day-ANYWAY, this is a long-winded way of saying, despite my problems with the film, I can still find something in it worth revisiting almost five years later. 

One thought on the film I had that has NOT changed five years later, is that it didn't need a sequel...or at least, a sequel like this...

Folie a' Deux finds Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) resigned to a miserable existence while incarcerated at Arkham, two years after the events of the first film, and awaiting trial. While at a music therapy session, he befriends a woman named Lee (Gaga) who is obsessed with his Joker persona, and they begin a toxic romance...and uh...yeah that's kind of it. Honestly, how did they make this over two hours-oh right it's a musical. I guess.

It's truly a sight to see...when a sequel spends its entire runtime actively tearing down its predecessor. Folie a' Deux has no idea where it wants to take its titular character, or should I say Arthur, because this film spends a good amount of time trying to make the case that Arthur is not the Joker after all ("Hey Murray, when you bring me out, can you introduce me as Joker?" He said that. Word for word. In the first film.)

One thing I actually appreciated about Joker is that it left it up to interpretation on whether Arthur was the definite Joker or he actually inspired the Joker that Batman would go on to fight. Not to get into spoilers but the film takes away that ambiguity. The message of the sequel is incredibly muddled. Was Arthur gaslit into becoming the Joker by SOCIETY,  is Joker an alter-ego that came about as a result of his mental illness (Dicey...), or is he just a bad person? Well you can present all those things during the trial sequence and leave it up to our interpretation, but the problem is we saw the first film. He killed all those people of his own volition. Thanks for wasting our time.

This film was sold as a Joker & Harley romance, but Harley "Lee" Quinzel's inclusion in this film is pretty superficial. She doesn't act like "the devil on Arthur's shoulder" the film would make you think she is, and Lee is pretty absent for a majority of the film's biggest plot points. It all just feels like a waste of Lady Gaga's time and talent, which brings me to my next point.

What really sets me off, in the deepest part of my Disney-raised, songbird, ballroom-dance-trained heart, is this film is an AWFUL musical. I don't particularly like jukebox musicals (Musicals that interweave already established songs into a new narrative) because they can take you out of the experience of the film. Folie a' Deux could've used original songs or covers and it wouldn't matter because Todd Phillips does not know how to do a musical.  Are the musical numbers in Arthur's head, or are they real? Are they singing on camera, or is it a soundtrack? Is the music diegetic or no non-diegetic? MAKE UP YOUR MIND, TODD. 

Call me old fashioned, but aren't musicals are supposed to be grand spectacles with extravagant song-and-dance numbers? Instead we mostly just get Arthur shuffling around dirty rooms in Arkham singing Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. I am truly baffled Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for an Oscar playing Johnny Cash in Walk The Line. I don't know, maybe his bad singing in this film was a character choice...or maybe he didn't want to come back for this film so he just half-assed it. But the film just feels so devoid of life. I said the first film had pacing issues but this one I couldn't believe how slow it moved. Normally a musical number would inject some life into a film but here it was more like "Oh please God no not again..."

Ugh...I need to try and say something good about this film. The cinematography is good. The intro sequence was well-animated. The supporting cast are all great, including Catherine Kenner, Brendan Gleeson, and Steve Coogan. Major props to Leigh Gill as Gary Puddles for his one scene during the trial. Everybody on the internet pretty much agrees that's the best part of the film, and perhaps if the rest of the film was like it, I wouldn't be writing this review. 

There's more things I could say, like how the inclusion of Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtley) is purely, again, "Bat-flavor" (also, how are the Waynes not mentioned ONCE throughout this film) or how Arthur's character takes a turn before the third act has...ghastly implications. But I've wasted enough of my time on this film. Joker Folie a' Deux is an unfocused, half-baked mess, and one of those rare sequels that spends its entire runtime giving the middle finger to its predecessor. I'm almost tempted to rewatch it again for research purposes, but I love myself too much to inflict such self-harm.

Perhaps the theories are true, and Todd Phillips really didn't want to make a sequel so this was just a big F.U. to the world. If so, the joke's on us, and we're not laughing.

Film Review - "Joker"

Joker
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert DeNiro, and Zazie Beetz

Ever since his initial creation, the origin story of Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker, has been in a sense a mystery. Over the course of the character's history, writers of both comics and screenplays have given him a multitude of different backstories. In the great graphic novel The Killing Joke, The Joker says in regards to his past, "Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another…if I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!" Even in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's version of the character tells it a few different ways.

This is a long way of saying that while Todd Phillips' Joker isn't necessarily the definitive origin story of The Clown Prince of Crime, I did find it the most chilling, gripping, and arguably the most realistic.

Clown-for-hire Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) has dreams of being a stand-up comedian, but has a lot…everything working against him. He's a loner who's ostracized at his job, constantly tending to his elderly mother (Frances Conroy) in a rundown apartment, in therapy and suffers from a neurological disorder that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at all the wrong times. Oh and he's "just not that funny."

As Arthur's luck goes from bad to worse, from being fired to learning the truth of his parentage, he goes deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole from which he'll emerge transformed, as a psychotic criminal the world will come to know as Joker.

There's a lot of layers to the story that takes it beyond a typical comic book film, but calling it a comic book film seems wrong. Yes the protagonist is called Joker, there's a family called The Wayne's, and it takes place in a city called Gotham, but those details come secondary. This is a character study akin to early Martin Scorsese films that has Batman elements peppered in for extra flavor. The film comments on a lot of heavy issues, like mental illness, social class, identity, moral obligation, and the very subjectivity of comedy? (I mean that's my interpretation). That's a lot to unpack in a two-hour film, and I'm not saying the script lacks focus, but it is jumping through a lot of hoops at once. It's a heavy ingest.

It's kind of amazing to see these issues illustrated through comic book characters. Ironically, by doing so it makes them more real, tangible, in a way. Conversely, this is arguably the first time it feels like The Joker could exist in the real world. He's doesn't fall into a vat of chemicals and come out a psychotic lunatic. Here he is a monster of our creation. All the hot-button issues the film tackles are very relevant to the world right now and tied to his story. Not to get into spoilers but when you watch the film, and you have that realization, it's kinda unsettling...

Joaquin Phoenix does deserve an Oscar nomination. He is carrying the entire film on his shoulders. What he does equals Heath Ledger's work in The Dark Knight. He makes you sympathize for this character, while also being scared of him. Phoenix keeps you on the edge of your seat for the majority of the film. This was the first time in a while I felt significantly uncomfortable in the theater, not knowing where character was going (I mean I was uncomfortable in Endgame, but that's like a different type of discomfort…I thought Captain America was gonna die.). Phoenix's take on The Joker stands out in an already iconic catalog of portrayals of the character.

Phoenix is surrounded by a superb supporting cast. Robert DeNiro is perfect as late-night host Murray Franklin. It's not a huge role but DeNiro gives it his all. Zazie Beetz plays Arthur's neighbor Sophie with plenty of heart and humor, as if she's almost a beacon of hope in his life. Frances Conroy plays his mother Penny, and she plays off Phoenix well. She's sweet but like her on-screen son, there's an edge to her.

The film is beautifully shot. There's a lot of memorable camera angles and movements that feel like panels from a graphic novel, but also work to emphasize the bleak hopelessness of this world Todd Phillips has crafted. The music by Hildur Guðnadóttir (That was a copy-and-paste job. No way I could have spelled that. Sorry Hildur.) is amazing. It's never in your face, but it sticks with you. The music is almost haunting, and truly conveys the grim nature of the scene(s).

The old saying goes that evil isn't born, it's made. Joker is a cautionary tale about the role we play in potentially making villains like this (and I do mean this version. Not the ones with exploding cream pies and poisonous laughing gas). It's another fine addition to the colorful history of the character.
It services the source material while also creating something rooted in realism. It's dark, gut-wrenching, and impactful to a point where it stays with you long after leaving the theater. No funny business.

Film Review - "The LEGO Batman Movie"

The Lego Batman Movie
Directed by Chris McKay
Starring Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, and Zach Galifanakis

I'm just gonna say it, Batman was a pretty expendable character in the first The Lego Movie. I've grown to love the film since I shared my initial thoughts on it, but from an extremely critical perspective, if you were to take the Bat-suit, name, and cowl away it would pretty much be the same character. It's kind of cynical for me to say that the filmmakers probably just went, "Well we have the rights to Batman, and he has a Lego, so let's make him a character in The Lego Movie." but I'm paying devil's advocate to get to a point.

That point being that while Batman being a character in the first Lego film wasn't necessary but it paid off immensely, the same could be said for this spinoff film, which wasn't needed but I think most can say they're glad to have because by God, it might be one of the best Batman films ever.

I mean we could get philosophical for a bit and debate what makes a film "necessary" or "needed" or what stories are worth telling or not telling…but we're here to talk about the next installment in the…Lego Cinematic Universe? I guess that's a thing now. Anyway.

The Lego Batman Movie follows the adventures of the titular character (Again played by Arnett) back in his home of Gotham City, which mostly include taking down all of his rogues gallery and just hanging out by himself in his big, empty mansion.

Batman (and Bruce Wayne's) life are about to get hit with a series of major changes, when he must comes to terms with a new police commissioner (Dawson) who wants to change how he and the force and work together, his newly adopted son Dick Grayson (Cera) that he must take responsibility for, and The Joker (Galifanakis) going to the extremest of lengths to get Batman to admit he is his greatest foe.

The film manages to juggle these three plot threads well by making the driving force of the film what makes Batman who he is, and I mean the legendary character Batman, not just this film's iteration. Bruce Wayne/Batman is a loner. He keeps to himself, he chooses a life as a caped crusader over a simple life with a family, because of his painful past. This is not new to Batman. We've seen it explored in previous films and comics before. The Lego Batman Movie manages to successfully honor these character traits while putting a spin on them that both children and adults in the audience can understand, which is kind of brilliant.

Is this the same serious Batman that Ben Affleck or Christian Bale portray? No but this film is meant to both honor and poke fun at Batman, and somehow both there's and every other version of the character get a nod or a jab. I have to talk about how the relationship between Batman and The Joker is portrayed. It is cheesy and sometimes cringeworthy, but The Joker always has sort of operated with some need to have Batman oppose him and acknowledge him as a threat. Soooo it's actually pretty clever in how its spins this age-old conflict in a comical new light.

Will Arnett is again pitch-perfect as this Batman, getting much more to do with the role this time around. Michael Cera is adorable and hilarious as Robin (God I can't believe I just said that about Michael Cera). Rosario Dawson fits the Barbara Gordon role so well, and Zach Galifanakis is absolutely delightful as The Joker. Ralph Finnes also gets some great material as Alfred, and there are plenty of hilarious little cameos throughout the film.

If I had to say anything bad about the film, is that I wish that the writers had taken more advantage of the Lego universe and setting, and the climatic "battle"sort of pales in comparison to big fight in the second act, but this is all nitpicking.

The Lego Batman Movie is not a movie the world necessarily needed to see, but I think most who see it will very glad they did. It manages to do something fun and new with the character while paying homage to The Dark Knight. Honestly, I'm very excited to see what other famous characters will…could, get a Lego film.

My God could we get The Lego Batman VS Superman Movie?!?!

Film Review- "Suicide Squad"

Suicide Squad
Directed by David Ayer
Starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis

The third time is definitely not the charm for the DC Extended Universe, as Suicide Squad fails to give the franchise that severe boost of quality it desperately needs. It suffers a lot of the same problems that Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice did. But just like I said with Batman Vs Superman, I say to you here the reviews are being a lot harsher than they need to be, and there is still a little good in this film.

In the wake of Superman's death, director of A.R.G.U.S. Amanda Waller (Davis) moves to assemble a team of extraordinary-yet-expendable individuals to carry out high-risk missions for the government. Said individuals are a bunch of criminals and super villains, including but not limited to hit man Floyd Lawton a.k.a Deadshot (Smith), the twisted Harley Quinn (Robbie), and lowlife theif Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney, who I can't believe I'm about to say isn't the worst part of this film).

When a deadly, supernatural threat in the form of The Enchantress (Cara Delevigne) threatens to rip the world apart, Waller assembles the Task Force X, led by Colonel Rick Flagg (Kinnaman) to quite simply save the world. Meanwhile Harley's beau, the clown prince of crime The Joker (Jared Leto) is on a rampage to reunite with his beloved.

If there was a script for this film most of it got thrown out when the footage was being edited. There's a big lack of character development, some actions and movements from scene to scene make little sense. With the exception of Deadshot and Harley, most of the team stays pretty two-dimensional. There's a romantic angle between Flagg and Dr. June Moore (the woman The Enchantress has possessed) but its so unnecessary and these characters aren't given their proper due so we can't get invested in it.

The final battle is so blatantly ripping off the final act of The Avengers it's not even funny, except with The Avengers it was with characters we had grown to love, and we actually cared what was going to happen. You could almost forgive that, if the action wasn't completely generic. Also I'm sorry, but it just makes zero sense why the US government would send common street criminals, to fight a thousand-year-old witch with unholy powers. Captain America wouldn't be sent to fight The Dark Elves. Batman wouldn't be called to fight General Zod…actually they both would still do those things and win because they're awesome. Anyway!

Well I told you that this film wasn't as bad as they were making it out to be, and I've probably proven myself wrong by now…or have I?!?…I don't know. The cast is the film's saving grace. Will Smith is giving his best as Deadshot, and Margot Robbie is an absolute perfect Harley Quinn. I can't believe I'm going to say this but I enjoyed Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang. Joel Kinnaman plays Rick Flagg as a solid straight man to the Squad, but you can tell that there was supposed to be more to his character, that was either cut or he can't bring it. Viola Davis is Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. I could comment on Cara Delevigne as The Enchantress, if I thought it was actually her on the screen and not mostly CGI effects and a voice over artist. She's not really a villain or a character. More of a plot device sadly. Everyone else is sadly either sidelined or misused.

Ask for Jared Leto as our newest screen-adaptation of The Joker? Well the marketing lied to us. He's not in this film as much as we were led to believe. He does good work, but we need to see more of him before we can get a full taste of what this new Joker is like.

Finally the music in the film is top notch. Not the score itself, I honestly couldn't identify the instrumentals of this film to save my life, but the song choices. The variation of song choices is all over the place, but they're carefully selected and match the setting and tone of the film.

So how I can I still even recommend Suicide Squad to you? Well if you lower your expectations enough, you could end up enjoying this film to a degree. It's not going to be something a lot of people will rewatch over and over, but it is not unwatchable. There's still some pieces worth checking out, like the performances, the soundtrack, and there are some cool scenes that build up the DCEU, some including Leto's Joker and the return of Affleck's Batman. If you skip this film, it probably won't hurt you going forward in the franchise. If you do see it, great. There are worse ways to spend two-and-a-half hours, and you'll be introduced to some interesting characters you're likely to see more of.

Let's all keep in mind that this film was practically in the can before the Batman Vs Superman fiasco and Warner Bros. changed the regime overseeing the DCEU. So hopefully the worst is behind us, maybe the fourth time's the charm with Wonder Woman, and these characters/performances get better treatment going forward. Even the "Worst Heroes Ever" deserve something more.