Is JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Really a Musical? Technically Yes, But Not Spiritually

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As a film enthusiast with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must confess that the classification of movies can sometimes be as perplexing as a Rube Goldberg machine. The boundary between genres often blurs, and this seems to be the case with “Joker: Folie à Deux.

In the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the main characters croon 15 well-known tunes and some original compositions. However, director Todd Phillips insists that his sequel isn’t truly a musical. He recently told Variety, “The music in the film is mostly just dialogue. It’s Arthur finding it hard to express himself verbally, so he sings instead.” This statement has sparked some anticipated, fair criticism since, as we all know, singing and dancing are integral parts of a musical. But was Phillips correct about his movie that continues the story of “Joker”? Well, in a way, yes! Although “Joker: Folie à Deux” technically falls under the category of a musical, it doesn’t feel like one in essence.

At its core, a musical refers to a performance on stage or screen where characters break into songs as they narrate a tale. There’s a wide variety in how this is executed, but what ties productions like “Hamilton,” “La La Land,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Frozen” together is that singing plays an essential role in conveying the storyline. The one consistent element among all musicals is the inclusion of characters who sing as part of the narrative structure.

Of course, while that is a simple enough way to define a musical, it’s not always easy to know if something actually qualifies as one. Mel Brooks original 1967 version of The Producers isn’t a musical despite having a couple of originals songs, but his 2005 Broadway version obviously is. But if its just a matter of a film having lots of songs and them being important to the story what about School of Rock? Is that a musical? How about This Is Spinal Tap? And how do we classify the Pitch Perfect movies? They feature characters singing throughout, and yet…

Regardless of any strict definitions, these films aren’t typically considered musicals because they don’t have the traditional elements we associate with them. Instead, they showcase characters frequently breaking into song. As viewers, we can easily distinguish between these types of movies and traditional musicals, using the phrase “I know it when I see it.” The challenge in categorizing Joker: Folie à Deux is that many of its musical scenes seem more like characters singing rather than characters participating in a musical.

As a fan, I found the point of view in “Joker: Folie à Deux” to be inconsistent during its musical sequences. Occasionally, the film delves into a fantastical realm reminiscent of “Chicago,” with characters shedding their everyday attire and setting for elaborate performances. It’s no wonder these scenes are my favorite instances of the movie’s musical elements. If every musical number had been presented in this manner, it would have been clear that we were watching a musical. However, more frequently, Arthur and/or Lee engage in quiet singing directed at each other, almost like two individuals serenading over a phone call. These songs are so subtle they might as well be a private conversation between lovers. This didn’t feel particularly musical to me; it felt more like a regular movie with characters occasionally breaking into song.

The movie, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” exists in an ambiguous gray area that makes categorizing it as a musical particularly challenging. While it satisfies all technical requirements for being considered a musical, it feels distinctly out of sync with classic works such as “Singing in the Rain,” “The Lion King,” and “West Side Story.” In essence, it’s as if the movie can’t decide whether it belongs to the world of movies with singing or the realm of traditional musicals. Just like its protagonist, Arthur, the film struggles to distinguish where it ends and the Joker begins, and where a typical movie with music concludes and a full-fledged musical starts.

Whether or not you think its a musical or something musical-ish ultimately won’t change how youf eel about it. How the film uses its many songs will. But it is interesting that, somehow, Todd Phillips was both right and wrong when he said Joker: Folie à Deux is not really a musical.

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2024-10-04 17:32