Joker 2 Review - Not just an Improved sequel, But a deep dive into the chaos of Arthur Fleck's mind
Following his live tv murder of Murray Franklin after joker, Joaquin Phoenix's character Arthur is currently detained in Arkham's maximum security ward for his trial. Although things aren't perfect there, Phoenix's main character has been an excellent prisoner and has become far more reserved than when we last saw him. Maryanne Stewart (Catherine Keener), his attorney, is certain that Arthur and the joker are two different people because of the horrendously traumatic upbringing he experienced. His prosecutor, Assistant DA Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey), believes he is fully aware and is going for the death sentence.
Even though Stewart's idea was never furthered in the original Joker: Folie à Deux, one of the film's recurring questions is which of these is true. The movie begins with a Looney Tunes-style cartoon called "Me and My shadow," in which Arthur is physically replaced by his shadow while he performs in joker makeup. The main idea of the video seems to be to make us consider the possibility that joker may be a separate creature. Stewart's defense could hold up with Arthur being so submissive and cooperative.
However, when visiting her in the minimal security wing, Arthur meets Lee (Lady Gaga), also known as Harley Quinzel, who shows an instant interest in him. As soon as they start conversing, they click; Lee shares that he comes from a challenging upbringing, and Arthur thinks that he has finally found someone who gets him. Lee soon joins him as he starts to sing his sentiments as he finds love. At times, when they're singing "for real," people around them notice and remember them. It's all in Arthur's brain sometimes, especially as the numbers grow more complex.
He seems to be regaining his joker identity the more he connects with Lee. One of my favorite sequences in the movie is when he gets aggressive with Steve Coogan during his first tv appearance after his incarceration, disobeying some of his lawyer's advise. His trial is proclaimed as one of the first to be broadcast in its entirety on television, and the cameras make him act like a showman. It only gets worse from there.
There is fan culture right now, especially poisonous fan culture. Before the trial, Fleck's situation was the subject of a tv movie, which has helped restore some of his notoriety. As the trial goes on, he also commands the attention of his fellow prisoners. In his world, Arthur has gained adherents, just as it was originally thought he would in ours.
In terms of performance, Gaga gives a flawless performance, whereas Lee is surprisingly difficult to define. However, Joker: In order to maintain the mystery, Folie à Deux likewise withholds her from us. She has a significant part in Phoenix's film, one that includes a lot of singing, but she is unquestionably a supporting one. I hoped we could have done more together. Nevertheless, Lee is completely realized thematically. The French phrase for shared psychosis used in the subtitle of the movie, "folie à deux," refers to a shared hallucination that may be imposed by one person on another in the same way that it can be jointly induced. Arthur is clearly prone to insanity, but throughout the film, it appears as if Lee is creating him into someone he's not.
This explains why the original was first misinterpreted so frequently. This movie features a ton of excellent performances, visuals, and filmmaking. This is a visually stunning movie with a lot to offer, and I had fun exploring it.
Overall, This is not just another comic book movie-it's a bold, ambitious piece of art that pushes the boundaries of what a film in this genre can be.
Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐⭐