For context concerning the peculiar title, on October 3rd I went to watch joker 2 in PVR in Andheri’s infinity mall. While I knew it was an 18+ film, I was under the impression that the regulation, like most others in India, was more of a suggestion rather than an actual enforceable rule. I was wrong. In reality, they stopped me before I could enter the theatre and asked me for ID. I had a starbucks gift card but turns out it wasn’t a valid form of identification (or a valid form of bribery). So I did what any normal would do and bought a ticket for an age appropriate and somehow got lost and ended up in the auditorium playing joker. Eventually they noticed I wasn’t in the audi playing the re-release of Detective Conan: Countdown to Heaven and long story short: I got kicked out of PVR Andheri. So this review is based off of the 45-ish minutes of the film I watched and nothing more.
If you’re worried about spoilers, don’t be, because the first part of this movie has very little plot whatsoever. A short synopsis: Joker meets Harley Quinn at Arkham, they sing, they fall in love, they sing, Joker has a trial, they sing some more, I get kicked out of PVR Andheri and spend the rest of my day in an arcade meant for 5-year olds.
While I’m aware that it’s meant to resemble a musical, it doesn’t change the fact that they managed to take what is meant to be 15 minutes of the run time and fluff it up to 45 while adding no real value to the plot.The biggest perpetrator here has to be Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn. In past portrayals of Harley Quinn, her insanity is built up instead of her persona being forced on the audience. It’s what made Margot Robbie’s portrayal so appealing: over the course of Suicide Squad and her own films she managed to give the character an unseen depth, she became more than just the Joker’s girlfriend. Somehow Todd Philiphs managed to reverse that over the course of 45 minutes.
Lady Gaga describes her ‘interpretation’ of the character as ‘a very non-linear person’ and ‘more real’. In reality, all she did for the first 45 minutes was try to assert her influence over Arthur. It became apparent that she didn’t love Arthur, she just wanted to control Joker. I’m all for supporting a woman’s wrongs but somehow this interpretation just felt wrong. Not because she’s trying to be dominant but because somehow her entire existence revolves around the joker, and that goes against everything this character has been developed for.
By trying to add these seemingly artistic and pretentious complexities to Harley, Lady Gaga managed to make the character more one-dimensional than ever .Not a single dialogue was memorable or even relevant to the character. Speaking of relevance, the joker somehow manages to become sad and pathetic in this film. All he does is sing. Sometimes it felt like when he was talking, they forgot to turn the camera away from Lady Gaga. He becomes almost invisible to the audience for a better part of the movie and only catches our attention when he’s having his broadway moments.
Overall the beautiful cinematography and great acting does very little to advocate for this movie. It’s’ all pomp and circumstance. That being said, Will I be watching it the moment it comes out on OTT? Yes. Why? Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga could stand there yodeling for two hours and I’d still watch it. If you do end up watching this movie, (once you’re 18 and experience it in PVR Andheri’s newly refurbished auditoriums with 360 dolby surround sound and HD resolution with advanced screening technology and free refills of popcorn on the weekends) don’t respect it for a good plot as you did with its predecessor, respect it for the mindless cash grab it is.
