Review of Joker 2, a bold but boring film

How can a film that was a cultural phenomenon turn into such, let's say, a kamikaze spectacle? There is no hero here, no laughter, and certainly no meaning. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga leap into the abyss, but is there really anything that can save them?

In 'Joker', Todd Phillips managed to immerse us in the tortured mind of Arthur Fleck, a clown who dreamed of being a comedian in a society that ignored him.

The film resonated in a tense social context. Reality intertwined with fiction in such a way that many of us thought: "This could be a reflection of our own madness." But what happened here?

A musical that defies logic

Initially, the concept of a musical based on the universe of 'Joker' left me scratching my head. A musical? Seriously! What’s next? A 'Joker: The Musical'? The idea of seeing Phoenix in a musical number is like imagining a fish flying. The premise of 'Folie à Deux' suggests a connection between two madnesses, but what I really feel is that the characters are stuck in some kind of emotional limbo.

The musical numbers attempt to provide a respite from the harsh reality of life in prison, but instead of being an escape, they become a torture. Did anyone else feel this way? Or was it just me? The chemistry between Phoenix and Gaga is so nonexistent that it seems like they are on different planets.

A calculated disaster

The movie feels like a failed experiment. Is it a critique of Hollywood? A shout for creative freedom? Or, worse yet, was it really thought that this would work? The musical, judicial, and romantic elements do not fit into a puzzle that is already confusing. Everything that shone in the first installment seems to fade here into a sea of pretensions.

If 'Joker' was a journey into madness, 'Folie à Deux' feels like a aimless walk. The hallucinatory atmosphere that once kept us glued to the screen turns into an endless series of caricatures that try, unsuccessfully, to capture our attention.

The repetitiveness of Phoenix's performances feels like an endless echo and, honestly, it tires. How many more times can we see a man scream his pain?

An agonizing ending

The conclusion of this movie feels like a sigh of exhaustion. There is no redemption, no meaning, just a sacrificial act that, at the end of the day, seems empty. If there was ever an intention to do something bold and provocative, it has been lost in the chaos of a narrative that doesn't know where it’s going.

'Joker: Folie à Deux' is an experience that leaves one wondering: is this really what we wanted? The answer is a resounding "no." Perhaps we should have left Arthur Fleck in his world, where his madness and loneliness resonated with all of us.

In conclusion, this sequel feels more like a failed exercise in self-critique than a celebration of its predecessor. So, should we just stick with the first and forget this one? I say yes!