Todd Phillips made a sequel to a film that people misunderstood. His version of Joker wasn’t meant to be put on a pedestal. He wasn’t meant to be followed. He wasn’t justified in doing what he did. The sequel, which takes place before and during his trial, is a middle finger to those who put Joker on that pedestal.
I’m going to talk about the ending, so if you want to avoid spoilers, skip to the next paragraph. I don’t believe Arthur Fleck was ever really Joker. I believe the man who kills him in Arkham Asylum at the end of the film is the real Joker. A man who takes the anarchistic idea behind what Arthur Fleck started and takes it to another level later on to become the villain who goes up against Batman. Arthur Fleck just jumpstarted the idea, and it eventually killed him for it was too big a burden for him to bear.
The music is okay as far as the musical aspects go. It is meant to show the mental decline of Arthur Fleck into fantasy, most of which is orchestrated by Harley Quinn (calls herself Lee in this film). Arthur is too far gone to see that his lawyer really does want him to get better, that she really cares, so even when she gives Arthur the truth about Lee’s motives, he does not listen. None of the music is original, just rehashings of existing songs. Would have liked to see some original songs if you’re going to intentionally piss off the comic crowd with a musical. And I think Todd Phillips knew what he was doing, he knew comic fans would hate it and he did it anyway. Ballsy move, Todd.
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix are great, there is no denying. Both turn in believable performances. the rest of the cast is believable too, even Brendan Gleason who plays an awful prison guard.
Todd Phillips knows people didn’t get the first film, so he made a second film putting Arthur Fleck in an impossible situation. Either he is guilty and made a martyr by his followers, or he is not guilty by way of insanity. Either way, he’ll never truly get the help he needs. Either way, he’s relegated to the fringes of society. Either way, martyr or insane, he’ll still be a villain to someone which is why he seeks the love of Lee who will never have is best interests at heart. At least he isn’t alone if he is with her.
People hate this film because Todd Phillips didn’t give them the Joker from the comics. The Joker villain they immortalize, the same one they rooted for in the first film. They hate this movie because Todd Phillips made a statement about what happens when mental health issues go unchecked and ignored by society, and that villains aren’t meant to be on pedestals. I, however, found this to be a movie that I’ll think about for a long time.
Three out of five stars. It’s not perfect and the music wasn’t great, but there are themes here worth discussing.
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
Todd Phillips made a sequel to a film that people misunderstood. His version of Joker wasn’t meant to be put on a pedestal. He wasn’t meant to be followed. He wasn’t justified in doing what he did. The sequel, which takes place before and during his trial, is a middle finger to those who put Joker on that pedestal.
I’m going to talk about the ending, so if you want to avoid spoilers, skip to the next paragraph. I don’t believe Arthur Fleck was ever really Joker. I believe the man who kills him in Arkham Asylum at the end of the film is the real Joker. A man who takes the anarchistic idea behind what Arthur Fleck started and takes it to another level later on to become the villain who goes up against Batman. Arthur Fleck just jumpstarted the idea, and it eventually killed him for it was too big a burden for him to bear.
The music is okay as far as the musical aspects go. It is meant to show the mental decline of Arthur Fleck into fantasy, most of which is orchestrated by Harley Quinn (calls herself Lee in this film). Arthur is too far gone to see that his lawyer really does want him to get better, that she really cares, so even when she gives Arthur the truth about Lee’s motives, he does not listen. None of the music is original, just rehashings of existing songs. Would have liked to see some original songs if you’re going to intentionally piss off the comic crowd with a musical. And I think Todd Phillips knew what he was doing, he knew comic fans would hate it and he did it anyway. Ballsy move, Todd.
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix are great, there is no denying. Both turn in believable performances. the rest of the cast is believable too, even Brendan Gleason who plays an awful prison guard.
Todd Phillips knows people didn’t get the first film, so he made a second film putting Arthur Fleck in an impossible situation. Either he is guilty and made a martyr by his followers, or he is not guilty by way of insanity. Either way, he’ll never truly get the help he needs. Either way, he’s relegated to the fringes of society. Either way, martyr or insane, he’ll still be a villain to someone which is why he seeks the love of Lee who will never have is best interests at heart. At least he isn’t alone if he is with her.
People hate this film because Todd Phillips didn’t give them the Joker from the comics. The Joker villain they immortalize, the same one they rooted for in the first film. They hate this movie because Todd Phillips made a statement about what happens when mental health issues go unchecked and ignored by society, and that villains aren’t meant to be on pedestals. I, however, found this to be a movie that I’ll think about for a long time.
Three out of five stars. It’s not perfect and the music wasn’t great, but there are themes here worth discussing.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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