This is the back-to-school event film. Five years after the triumph of the first part, which brought in more than a billion dollars in revenue, the Joker is back in a second episode that will leave no one indifferent. Indeed, with “Joker: Folie à Deux”, Todd Philips wanted to make a 180-degree turn in order to transform the dark universe of Gotham City into… a musical! “ We wondered what would have to be true for two people to start singing in the middle of a conversation. Where does the music come from when no one can hear it except the characters? Neither Arthur nor Lee [le personnage de Lady Gaga, ndlr] are professional singers, and they shouldn’t appear to be » assure Lady Gaga in an interview given to Variety. Opposite Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix who reprises his role, the pop superstar plays Harley Quinn who falls madly in love with the Batman antagonist.
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Figures that don’t make you smile…
This is also the main story of this new part which, since its first screening at the Venice Film Festival, has divided critics. If everyone praises the performance of Lady Gaga, who released the album “Harlequin” composed of covers, many speak of a film ” dull and ineffective », « laborious », « hard », « a textbook case of failure » described as “ the prison version of “La La Land” “. And the French public, not very fond of musicals, did not come as en masse. Indeed, the first box office figures have just fallen and the results are less explosive than expected. On its first day of operation, “Joker: Folie à Deux” attracted precisely 131,948 spectators to French cinemas. This is 1.6 times less than the initial “Joker” from 2019 which was able to count on 210,150 moviegoers in 24 hours. Even 291,152 taking into account previews. Note that to date “Vice Versa 2” holds the title of best start of the year with 527,504 entries in one day!
But there is no doubt that despite this divided public and critical reception, the blockbuster will quickly recoup its costs, having cost 200 million dollars. This Friday, the public will be able to discover the soundtrack of “Joker: Folie à Deux”, in which Lady Gaga notably covers Jacques Brel’s classic “Ne me leave pas”, in its English version “If You Go Away”, popularized by Nina Simone. As a reminder, the first “Joker” attracted 5 million spectators in France. Will its sequel do better? Response in a few weeks…
