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Film reviews

Joker: Folie a Deux Review

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Five years later, Joaquin Phoenix is back as Arthur Fleck/Jokerand Todd Phillips is back as the director. I found this much-anticipated continuation lacking. Not in a completely negative way, but more because it is totally opposite from what many might expect. It is like the evil and terror from the first Jokeralmost never happened. Joker: Folie a Deux feels like a circus…in a prison cell and legal suits.

In this film, Arthur is amid legal proceedings for his violent crimes from the previous film. This time, however, he has made his prison environment feel like home. Nothing has really changed in his characterizations of an absurd mental illness. Despite all his troubles, he has become quite famous due to his criminal behaviors. His attorney is Maryanne Stewart (played by Catherine Keener). She tries to convince Arthur that he should not present himself as the Joker which is difficult for him because he believes he is so special. This does not help his case nor does taunting a police guard, Jackie Sullivan (played by Brendan Gleeson).  He despises Arthur’s presence with passion. With all the hatred, fame, and bizarre attention that Arthur loves, there is one special person who has a bad influence that comes into the picture. That lady is Lee Quinzel, and her stage name is Harley Quinn (played by Lady Gaga).

The criminalities abound for Arthur, and he cannot dismiss his Joker persona. He finds happiness when he falls in love with Lee Quinzel (when she uses her stage name Harley Quinn). Together, they create a world of boiling evil and catastrophe. Their vengeance is daring, but the presentation is flat. Too many moments they share on screen transition to them singing so don’t expect a lot of action or suspenseful violence in Joker: Folie a Deux.  

With performances from Phoenix and Gaga, I was expecting some real eye-openers during the movie.  Although the writing is not too bad, there seems to be misdirection which causes thestory to not vibe all that well in Joker: Folie a Deux. With Arthur’s new love and his various trial dates, the film does not have a clear path to balance out its stressors.  Instead, Phoenix’s character creates a circus of wonders, but is unsuccessful in finding meaning or presenting the big picture. The halting point is that Arthur/Joker is in prison. Therefore, the story relies too much on the fascination of the ridiculous love between Arthur and Lee/Joker and Harley Quinn. Their bizarre tangos fueled by their unique brands of crazy make for a weird ride.

In the end, this sequel relies too much on Arthur finding ways to feel powerful. While he has some success, the film is a sub-par continuation in a theatrical setting. Joker: Folie a Deux does manage to hit the bar of mediocrity. It isn’t terrible but is simply lacking in far too many areas and is not nearly as compelling as the first one. Two out of four stars. 

Film reviews

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Review

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The jams of amazement and creativity are still full of chills and haunting nostalgia. Director Tim Burton knows his audience. He knows where to find the twists, the turns, and the genius in unconventional moments. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice thrives with cleverness. Over three decades later, a beat is still not missed in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. There is more that goes awry as adventure abounds in the world of Burton.

The film begins with the focus on Lydia Deetz (played by Winona Ryder), who I admire in this daring role. Lydia’s life has turned to having her TV series of paranormal activities. She is trying to dismiss that Beetlejuice (played by Michael Keaton) was part of her life. The dynamics of the characters offer more quirks and added value in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Lydia’s daughter is Astrid (played by Jenna Ortega). Lydia feels her life is a blur of nonsense. With Delia Deetz (played by Catherine O’Hara) still in the picture, Astrid feels her life is a joke until things change. Lydia decides she is going to marry her assistant Rory (played by Justin Theroux) on Halloween night? How much more of a headache can the various aspects of Astrid’s life be?

Beetlejuice is still around. The film does a stellar job at keeping its audience in motion with the many revolving layers of creepy darkness. Keaton delivers that grizzly, demonic, yet hysterical voice with all the excitement that fans crave. Keaton never misses the beat as Beetlejuice wants to be back in Lydia’s life despite her being opposed to the idea. With Astrid going into the portal of the Afterlife, all bets are off. Lydia must rely on Beetlejuice to help save Astrid’s life.

Burton keeps the characters on creative and jaw-dropping adventures. Interesting characters include the monster with the small head, Bob Shrinker (played by Nick Kellington), the fake detective, Wolf Jackson (played by Willem Dafoe), and one of the wicked ladies of the past, Delores (played by Monica Bellucci). Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a continuation where spellbinding terror abounds. Keaton playing a guitar singing “I’ll be Right Here Waiting for You,” (by Richard Marx) showcases a unique way of connecting characters three decades in the making.

The Afterlife is the door into Burton’s visual and innovative world of a haunting emporium. Once the door of the Afterlife opens, there is instrumental formality because the Afterlife brings in an interactive storyline which proves magical. There are moving body parts, floating eyeballs, and shrunken heads—an enchanting array of Burton galore! The writing and lighting have not lost touch. Keaton and Ryder fulfill their destiny. What started back in 1988 finds a path to being reborn.

Is Lydia going to marry Rory? Is the Afterlife going to introduce and shift dynamics? What does Astrid want? Is there some good in the heart of Beetlejuice? Burton fills in connecting moments of what is love and lost. He is keen on bringing empathetic light into his writing and characterizations. There is a lot of that value in this film due to a new breed of peril combined with slightly over-the-top cheesiness. Still, the film delivers by staying on track and highlighting the gifts of Burton. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Film reviews

Trap Review

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I am a fan of M. Night Shyamalan. Some of his films can be hit or miss for many, but all of them have are unique in his sense of directing. This was not the case with Trap though, as it truly repeated. If audiences have seen the trailer or TV spot numerous times, then the film itself may be a disappointment. I found myself feeling like each outcome was already in the back of my mind. The mediocrity of Trap is its layout—a concert with thousands of people and one target. That whole outline was already presented in the trailer. There is no misleading or captivating misdirection to find a joyful aspect of suspense in Trap.

The film is focuses on Cooper (played by Josh Hartnett), and his daughter Riley (played by Ariel Donoghue). Cooper takes his daughter to a pop concert at an arena type venue. There are thousands of people and all kinds of security. The high amounts of personnel make Cooper feel curious and uneasy. He does a lot of looping around in and out of the concert to put the pieces together. Apparently, there is a killer on the loose, and the concert is a hole for him to fall into. Cooper goes through all kinds of corridors to get answers. The question soon arises if he himself is the killer.

The stadium setting of the film is probably the point of scarcity. The rest of the film is a blur. There is direct dialogue that seems comical and witty, which does add to the fun, but not to the peril which the audience might expect. With Shyamalan being a man of limits and set in his ways, Trap has that approach and relies almost too much on that style to carry it through. The concept of thinking about a concert and a strange personality with Hartnett’s performance is the proper tactic where audiences will grasp the most from the story.

Questions of fear stroll through Trap. What if Cooper is the killer? Does that interfere with the concert moment for his daughter? Does that put others in danger? Are there other aspects of his personality that are hidden. The characterization of Hartnett’s performance has him in a continuously twitchy and nervous mode (this is also seen in the trailer). As I have said before, if audiences have seen the trailers, most of the film is kind of given away. It is just not unique as it searches for tactics of surprise for the audience. It would have been better to have more originality within the concert setup from Shyamalan.  It would have taken it in a direction completely opposite than how Trap progresses and falls flat.

One of the most dreadful (almost two hours) I have had recently. A film that felt like a long concert with no attention-grabbing dialogue. Only a quiet mode of Tetris trying to find an escape and survival. Trap is one of the least engaging films from Shyamalan. There are so many rushed moments throughout andalso many that do not seem to make sense at all. “Sense” in the direction of finding the routes for what may seem appealing and entertaining. Two out of four stars for Trap.