Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” is finally in theaters to turn that frown upside down, only to turn it upside down again. The sequel, which self-destructs not only itself but also the original 2019 film as a casualty, works better as an idea than in execution as a movie.
Here, Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck stands trial for the anarchy-inciting incel crimes he committed in the Oscar-winning original film — just as the audience is put on trial for endorsing his worldview in the first film. This time, he forms a romance and shared appetite for mayhem (hence the title) with an underused Lady Gaga — who has said she had to “un-learn” how to sing, which is unfortunate given she is one of the great vocalists of our time — as a version of Harley Quinn. Tunes torn from the Great American Songbook are given a desultory razzmatazz via cabaret-style song and dance featuring the pair, which exist only in Arthur’s mind.
On this week’s episode of “Screen Talk,” Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio discuss the film; Anne loves the first two-thirds, while Ryan hates the whole picture. “Folie à Deux” is designed to make you feel like a fool for liking the first movie at all — but such audience-punishing anti-entertainment doesn’t make for a compelling film despite the provocative concept. And the box-office odds aren’t looking good, with muted buzz at Venice not setting a strong tone ahead. General audiences will deplore this movie, but isn’t that what Phillips wanted?
Elsewhere on the podcast, the co-hosts catch up on the latest happenings at Lincoln Center and nearby during the 2024 New York Film Festival. Films that have played hugely for NYFF audiences after prior festival bows include “Anora,” “Maria,” and “Emilia Pérez.”
Watch the full episode above or listen to it below.
Screen Talk is produced by Azwan Badruzaman and available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and hosted by Megaphone. Browse previous episodes here, subscribe here, and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk.
