Folie à Deux
The highly anticipated sequel to the first Joker film debuted at the Venice Film Festival on September 4th, dividing critics between enthusiastic reactions and more skeptical reviews. We had the chance to attend the movie’s world premiere in Venice, and we experienced the bubbling and alluring atmosphere of one of the most prestigious cinema exhibitions. Here is our exclusive look at the event and our take on the film!
Haute couture dresses, sequins and flashing lights: the Venice Film Festival is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous events in the world. Gathering A-list movie stars and celebrities, the Laguna Veneta provides the perfect backdrop for the incredible display of high fashion and lavish luxury that takes place on the famous red carpet, set right in front of the romantic view of the Lido’s beach. This year, films legends such as Angelina Jolie, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett graced the red carpet with their charm, earning prolonged standing ovations after their films’ screenings. However, the star who stole the show was Lady Gaga.
Never in the history of the Venice Film Festival had a celebrity gathered so much hype around their arrival. Fans from France, Poland, the UK, and other parts of the world camped out in front of the red carpet for entire days in order to secure a spot in the front row and to try to get an autograph. Most of them were long-time Gaga followers who had been fans since the beginning of her career and never missed a chance to see her. They slept on the floor, and challenged the unbearable heat of the sun, all for the chance to see their idol take the spotlight right in front of their eyes.
Lady Gaga’s arrival was indeed a show in itself. After the parade of director Todd Phillips and the marvelous film’s protagonist Joaquin Phoenix, the singer made her entrance alongside her new fiancé, Michael Polansky - who, contrarily to his partner, appeared rather shy in front of the cameras.
Gaga wore a black Dior ball gown with draperies that resembled the iconic clown ruffle collar. The look was completed by a unique black lace headpiece by Philip Treacy. She graced the red carpet, posing for photographers and eventually greeting the fans who had been waiting for her, before quickly entering the Sala Grande for the film’s premiere.
Some fans had to settle for this brief red carpet appearance, as only a few of them managed to get tickets for the premiere. As a matter of fact, Joker 2 set a record by becoming the fastest movie to sell out tickets, both for the main screening in the Sala Grande and the additional one in Palabiennale. Besides the incredible exposure brought by Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux was already one of the most awaited and discussed movies of the Venice Film Festival. The first chapter - which was a smash hit at the box office in 2019 - received widespread acclaim. While both the first and second films are very loosely based on the DC Comics story and character, the movie inevitably attracted the attention of die-hard comic fans but also earned considerable appreciation from the general public for its exploration of mental illness and its psychological and sociological effects. Therefore, it was inevitable that the sequel would garner significant attention from cinema enthusiasts.
Lady Gaga’s arrival. Shot by Raandoom at the Venice Film Festival.
However, one particular aspect of the film generated skepticism about this new chapter: the musical element. When it was announced that Lady Gaga would take on the role of the infamous Harley Quinn -previously portrayed by Margot Robbie in a more faithful interpretation of the original comics-, Joker fans feared that the movie might turn into a cringy R-rated version of La La Land. Both Phillips and Lady Gaga, however, reassured the public that the musical elements would be an integral part of the protagonist’s psychological journey. In the film, Arthur Fleck -the birth name of Joker- finds in music a cathartic way to cope with his internal demons: singing and performing appear to be how he transitions between his inner self and his theatrical, disruptive persona.
As anticipated, we wew able to form our own opinion about the movie, as we were lucky enough to attend the second screening of the film after the red carpet.
The movie kicks off with a Looney Tunes-like short cartoon where the protagonist, Arthur Fleck, bTTLES with his own shadow during a TV show. The shadow, namely the Joker, triumphs over him and makes victims on live television - just as the protagonist actually did in the first chapter. This film-within-the-film foreshadows the main theme of the movie, which, as many have pointed out, does not add much to the plot of its prequel, but rather focuses on the dual nature of the protagonist and his inner conflict.
The film mostly takes place in the claustrophobic setting of the Arkham Hospital, where Arthur is locked up. In the first scenes, he appears to be even more closed in on himself, alienated from the rest of the world, both physically and emotionally. He also seems to have lost his trademark smirk and his creepy humor. Things change when he meets a fellow Arkham prisoner, Lee -who is Harley Quinn- and they immediately connect thanks to the power of music. This is how the folie à deux unveils: the couple sinks into a shared hallucination made of escapism, disruption, and literally explosive musical performances.
The apparently tender affection between Joker and Harley soon transforms into a sick game of psychosis and manipulation. Their relationship seems to push the concept of idolatry and mythomania to the extreme, as foreshadowed in the first movie. Harley encourages Arthur to fully embrace his inner Joker, leading him to completely dissociate his character from his persona. As Arthur grapples with his own trauma and abuse and tries to understand his true self, he experiences this psychological dissociation on two levels: through his internal process and through his relationship with Harley. The answer may lie in one of the final scenes, where Arthur climbs the stairs he had previously descended, marking the culmination of his transformation into the Joker in the first movie.
Joker: Folie à Deux delves into even darker aspects of the protagonist’s complicated psychological nature compared to the first movie. It also explores deeper sociological themes, such as the corruption and perversion of Gotham city, the harsh realities of life in prisons, and the discrimination faced by the lost, the least and the last of society. In this context, the musical element serves an antithetical role, lightening the tone with seemingly ironic and dreamlike sketches. Phoenix and Gaga deliver mesmerizing yet often unsettling of iconic songs from the 1950s. In essence, music amplifies to the “folie” of the characters and, in doing so, finds its purpose within the narrative.
Speaking of the soundtrack, the musical performances include classics from the 50s and 60s, such as “I’ve Got The World On A String” and “When You’re Smiling” by Frank Sinatra, “What The World Needs Now Is Love”, “That’s Life” and ten more covers, plus an additional original song - a waltz written by Lady Gaga. According to Phillips, the selection of tracks was meant to evoke the music Arthur would have listened to with his mother when he was a kid. What is perhaps the most interesting fact about the protagonists’ performances is that they were not pre-recorded. On the contrary, they were performed live on camera -upon suggestion of Gaga herself-, with a pianist on set. By doing so, the musical pieces intertwined with the dialogue smoothly, at least in the first part of the movie. Unfortunately, as the film goes on, this natural effect seems to lose its efficacy as the performances start to feel a bit more forced.
Both Phoenix and Gaga delivered enchanting musical performances that complemented the narration. It was particularly interesting to witness Lady Gaga modulating her voice and essentially unlearning how to sing in order to embody her character. Here, we hear a quieter and softer version of the singer, using her voice as if she were a little girl learning to sing. There are some scenes, however, in which Lady Gaga takes over as Harley Quinn, namely those that stem from Joker’s imagination. Here, Gaga’s voice bursts forth with all its power. As with A Star Is Born, many critics diminished her acting skills, suggesting that her performances were too similar to her own real-life persona. It must be pointed out, however, that Lady Gaga has explored so many music genres and performative expressions -nailing it every time- that no matter what she plays or how she sings, she will always resemble herself.
Whether you like musicals or not, whether you’re a DC Comics fan or have never heard of it, Joker: Folie à Deux is a film that deserves to be watched. Maybe the story doesn’t fully meet the enormous expectations surrounding the movie, as it seems to struggle to get to the point, and it doesn’t really make an effort to narrate Arthur’s character development or delve deeply into Harley’s story. Although these inconsistencies might leave a bitter taste, we believe that the magnificent performance by Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, along with the enchanting visual and musical elements, provide compelling reasons to buy your cinema tickets and watch the movie when it hits theatres on October 4th.
Check out our playlist with the songs of the film while we wait for the official soundtrack!
