30/33
Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital. Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson and director-writer Todd Phillips talk about what scared them the most about the musical sequel. . Plus, Gaga discusses how she got into and stayed in her dark character. The film’s subtitle is “Folie a Deux” meaning “Two Madnesses”; in french. This initially led to speculation about Harley Quinn appearing in the film, which was confirmed shortly after. The name Folie a Deux comes from the 19th century French psychiatrists Charles Lasègue and Jules Falret. The term was coined for two or more people who share the same insanity or delusion. Also known as Lasègue-Falret syndrome. The jury representative mistakenly referred to the "people of New York" Instead of Gotham City.. Arthur Fleck: [Written as an evil autograph with a sad smiley face] I HOPE YOU GOT CANCER. The film opens with the Looney Tunes title sequence, showing the Warner Bros logo surrounded by rings and the Joker’s face. He stars in AniMat’s Crazy Cartoon Characters: The Wicked Discovery of a Lifetime (2022). Merrily We Roll Along Written by Eddie Cantor, Murray Mencher and Charles Tobias. It feels more like a spin-off than a true sequel, and spends most of its running time repeating the original through court scenes and interviews rather than moving the story forward. The writing is serviceable at best, often relying on thin threads to loosely connect one musical dream sequence to another. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is fine, but lacks the raw intensity that defined his performance in the original. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, seemed to deliberately tone down her usual flamboyance, avoiding overshadowing it, which, while understandable, feels like a missed opportunity for a more dynamic performance. The musical numbers, full of energy and spectacle, are easily the highlight of the film, the singing and dancing offer refreshment from the otherwise sluggish narration. Unfortunately, these sequences cannot sustain the film’s momentum. The lack of a substantial plot makes the film seem too long, dragging on for over two hours and feeling unnecessarily stretched. Without the gripping psychological tension of its predecessor, the film struggles to find its footing, making it more of an indulgent display of musical theater than a coherent, captivating continuation of the story. Check out this year’s list of exciting new films at film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, the New York Film Festival and more.
