now the sequel is here and though it ends up as strident laborious and often Flatout tedious as the first film there's an improvement it's a musical of sorts with Phoenix and others warbling show tune standards often in fantasy set pieces a little in the way of Dennis Potter's Pennies from Heaven this gives it structure and flavor that the first film didn't have and that Sensational acting and musical Talent Lady Gaga is now in the mix though with nothing like the humanity and depth she had in Bradley Cooper's a star is born as Harlen quinzel a deeply Disturbed psychiatric patient who meets Joker in the music therapy class that he is allowed to attend as reward for good behavior while amand waiting to stand trial for his five murders they fall deeply in love with each other that is adding to the existing self-adoration of each although it is never clear whether the lead's narcissism is intentional the opening is Sensational a spoof Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoon reprises The Story So Far raising the curtain for a barnstorming first section showing Arthur's prison existence there's a great Supporting Cast with Brendan Gleason as the prison guard Katherine kener is Arthur's lawyer Steve kugan is a tabloid TV interviewer and zy beats briefly reprises her role as Arthur's former neighbor there's a real spark when Joker and Harley meon CED in the joint but the whole movie finally turns out to be oppressively claustrophobically and repetitively becomed in that oddly unreal Gotham Universe jail with Phoenix and Gaga kept aart heart for long periods and Phoenix's own performance is as single note as before though certainly his forceful and a screen presence is potent the game plan of defense lawyer marann Stewart is to convince the judge that her client was psychologically disturbed by his Abus of upbringing and that he deserves hospital treatment on the grounds of diminished responsibility district attorney Harvey Dent says Arthur is not mad and deserves the electric chair as for Arthur he is conflicted he understands that the insanity plea is his only chance but he also longs to embrace his Joker Destiny again to embrace the crazy scary clam Persona that his lawyer tells him to reject it has given him celebrity status and a heroic Destiny and it has brought him love with Harley Lady Gaga brings a Sly and manipulative malice to her role Harley is secretive smart and genuinely Disturbed in a way that Arthur Joker perhaps isn't is she to be the lady McBeth of DC super villainy the story as constructed doesn't give her character much of a chance at development in that direction or any other and it is possible to feel very restless during the final section and wonder whether anything remotely plausible sad funny or unexpected will be revealed about Arthur given that the film's body language insists on its Mythic importance this crazy self-possession propels the film up its laborious narrative gradient and Lady Gaga delivers a diva charge could it be that her Harley Quinn will return in an adventure of her own Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn is nothing short of spectacular she brings such an emotional intensity to the role and her singing throughout the film is just incredible You Can Tell She's Not Just playing the character she's living it every scene she's in you're drawn to her and wiin Phoenix well we already know he's brilliant but seeing him sing alongside Gaga adds a new vulnerability to Arthur Fleck that I didn't expect their chemistry is undeniable and it's especially clear in the musical sequences which are some of the most powerful moments in the film it's not your typical musical by any means but the way the songs are used makes them feel so integral to the story the combination of their voices and the way they express their characters through the music really hit me thank you for watching this video