Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Is JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX Really a Musical? Technically Yes, But Not Spiritually
Joker and Harley Quinn host a Sonny & Cher-type variety show in Joker: Folie a Deux. Warner Bros.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s main characters sing 15 classic songs along with some original works throughout the film. Yet director Todd Phillips doesn’t think his sequel is really a musical. This summer he told Variety, “Most of the music in the movie is really just dialogue. It’s just Arthur not having the words to say what he wants to say, so he sings them instead.” That led to some very predictable, very fair ridicule, since, you know, that’s what a musical is. But was Phillips actually right about his song and dance-filled followup to Joker? Actually, yeah, kinda! Because while Joker: Folie à Deux technically qualifies as a musical, it doesn’t feel like one spiritually.


joker and harley folie a deux Warner Bros.

In the purest definition, a musical is a production of stage or screen where characters sing songs to tell a story. There are many different ways to do that. Hamilton, La La Land, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Frozen are all very different, yet all clearly musicals. But having characters singing be a fundamental part of how a story is told is the one constant of all musicals.

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…

None of them feel like a musical, regardless of any technical definitions. They’re movies that feature characters singing a lot. As an audience we can tell the difference, a classic case of “I know it when I see it.” The problem with labeling Joker: Folie à Deux is that a lot of its musical moments feel like “characters singing” more than “characters in a musical.”

Joker: Folie à Deux does not employ a consistent point-of-view during its musical numbers. On a couple of rare occasions, the film goes full fantasy like in Chicago. Characters toss aside their normal clothes and surroundings to perform elaborate stage numbers. No surprise these are Joker 2‘s best uses of its musical elements. And if every musical number was done this way this would have been a once sentence piece. It would just say, “Yes, it’s a musical.” The issue is that far more often, though Arthur and/or Lee simply sing to one another in reality. These songs are so understated and quiet they might as well be two lovers singing to each other over the phone, which doesn’t feel very musical at all. It just feels like a regular movie where characters sing.

The result is a film that lives in a nebulous grey zone. It might be the single most difficult movie to ever try and label as a musical or not. It seems silly to say it isn’t one, since it absolutely qualifies by even the strictest technical terms. And yet, for all the reasons a viewer knows what a musical is without using a dictionary, Joker: Folie à Deux spiritually seems completely out of place in a genre that includes Singing in the Rain, The Lion King, and West Side Story. Like its main character, it’s all over the place. Arthur doesn’t know where he ends and Joker begins. The film doesn’t know where a movie with singing ends and a musical begins.

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.

This article first appeared on Nerdist and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson
NFL

Troubling news emerges on Bears QB Caleb Williams’ workout with HC Ben Johnson

It might have been a good thing the Chicago Bears didn’t play Caleb Williams on Sunday. The Bears might need to hide their second-year quarterback as he irons out his wrinkles in the pre-snap process and with accuracy issues. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft struggled with timing and accuracy during the Bears’ joint practice with the Miami Dolphins on Friday. Caleb Williams was inaccurate in the red zone against no defenders On Sunday, head coach Ben Johnson chose not to play Williams against the Dolphins in the Bears’ first preseason game. Instead, Johnson led a workout with Williams and wide receivers Rome Odunze and DJ Moore before the game. Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears ran a total of 87 plays during the workout. All of the plays were routes in the air with no defenders on the field for the scripted practice. Despite going against no defenders bringing pressure or guarding his receivers, Williams struggled to hit his targets in the red zone. "Williams would stand next to Johnson, who would give him the play," Biggs wrote. "Then, the quarterback simulated a huddle with the player (only one ran a route on each snap) and gave the play call. They’d break the huddle, go to the line of scrimmage, Williams would simulate pre-snap actions and then the play would be run… "Before ending the session with eight deep balls, there was a 25-play set of snaps in the red zone. One thing Williams struggled to connect on was out routes to Moore and Odunze near the goal line. Those throws were not close and Williams consistently led the receivers too much." A closed-door problem for the Chicago Bears The throws weren’t close during routes on air… in the red zone… seriously? Williams wasn’t ready to take the field for the preseason game. For all of the flak he’s been getting from practice reports, the quarterback would have been relentlessly mocked for having these issues shown during an NFL Network broadcast. Biggs’ report is troubling, with a month to go before the season. Williams has much to improve upon, and the Bears are very much trying to do so without cameras present for a reason.

Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss
NBA

Celtics' ownership move should concern Lakers governor Jeanie Buss

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is supposed to remain in charge of the team for years even after the sale. Given what just happened with the Boston Celtics, it might only be months. When the Grousbeck family sold the Celtics for $6.1B in March, ESPN reported that Wyc Grousbeck would stay on as the Celtics CEO and governor through the 2027-28 season. Now, new owner Bill Chisholm will take over once the sale is final. That should concern current Lakers team governor Jeanie Buss, whose family sold a majority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers to investor Mark Walter. Buss is supposed to stay on as team governor for "at least a number of years," according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, but new NBA owners haven't been keen on waiting to take control of teams recently. Mark Cuban thought he would continue running the Dallas Mavericks when he sold a controlling interest to the Adelson family in November 2023. Before the end of that season, when Dallas advanced to the NBA Finals, new team governor Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, was firmly in charge. General manager Nico Harrison reported directly to Dumont, which is how Luka Doncic ended up traded to the Lakers despite Cuban's objections. It might be different with the Lakers. Walter has owned a minority share in the Lakers since 2021, so he's had a working relationship with Buss. Her role as team governor may be a condition of the sale itself. With the team preparing for a long-term future with Doncic, Walter and his fellow owners might opt for continuity in the team governor role. But in general, people do not spend billions of dollars on a professional sports team so that someone else can be in charge. Buss is in charge of the Lakers now. Recent history says she won't be for long.

Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
NASCAR

Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen

It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.

Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
NFL

Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.