‘Joker 2’: The Best And Worst Reviews After Venice Film Festival Debut
"New movie poster for 'Joker: Madness Shared' with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga."
Opinions are divided among critics following the premiere of Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga's new film, Joker: Folie à Deux, at the Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday.
Phoenix, Lady Gaga, and filmmaker Todd Phillips were all present at the grand debut of the film in Venice, where Joker: Folie à Deux is being shown as part of a competition. This movie serves as a follow-up to the successful 2019 film Joker, for which Phoenix won an Academy Award for Best Actor. Joker: Folie à Deux continues in the crime drama genre of its predecessor, but also adds a musical element, featuring Lady Gaga's portrayal of Harley Quinn.
Even though the movie won't be shown in theaters in North America until October 4, feedback from Venice is already flooding in and being posted on the review site Rotten Tomatoes. Currently, Joker: Folie à Deux has a rating of 60% "fresh" based on 43 reviews.
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One of the best reviews from top critics on RT comes from John Nugent of Empire Magazine. He describes the film as a charming musical romance between two dangerous psychopaths. The unique and quirky style may not appeal to all comic book fans, but it offers a strange yet hopeful story.
In addition to this, David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter also gives a great review of the follow-up to Joker. He states, "Gaga is a captivating and vibrant presence on stage, balancing the line between admiration and fixation, while sweetly giving Arthur a chance. The songs they perform together, as well as their solo performances, bring energy to the movie which can sometimes be quite serious."
Pete Hammond from Deadline also mentions the movie's entertainment industry vibes, saying, "This musical, if you can even call it that, combines song, dance, comedy, darkness, animation, drama, violence, and more in a unique way."
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The short description of the next Joker movie says that Arthur Fleck is locked up in Arkham psychiatric hospital, waiting for his trial for being the Joker. As he battles with his two different personas, Arthur discovers love and his hidden musical talent.
However, even though there is music in the movie, not all of Rotten Tomatoes' top critics are in agreement with their positive reviews of "Joker: Folie à Deux."
In his review, Richard Lawson from Vanity Fair describes the movie as extremely boring, a procedural that doesn't seem to respect its viewers. BBC's Nicholas Barber adds that some may see the film as daring while others may find it annoyingly self-satisfied, but either way, it's not very enjoyable.
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One of the harshest critiques of the film has been written by IndieWire critic David Ehrlich. In his review titled "Joker: Folie à Deux Review: Todd Phillips’ Musical Sequel Feels Like It’s Bad on Purpose," Ehrlich expresses his disappointment in the movie.
Ehrlich continues to express his negative opinion in the subheading of his review, stating that Folie à Deux is uninteresting, lacking depth, and a waste of Lady Gaga's talent. He believes that the film attempts but ultimately fails to address our frustrations.
Those watching the movie Joker: Folie à Deux will have the opportunity to create their own thoughts and reflections when it premieres in cinemas on October 4.
The Venice International Film Festival started on August 27 with the first showing of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and will continue until Saturday.
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