THERE have been vehement reactions to “Joker: Folie à Deux” because it’s—spoiler alert—a musical. U.S. audiences were even walking out of theaters.

I must be the only one who cried—twice—while watching the movie, with tears rolling down my face in two of those musical numbers. The movie touched me. I didn’t sleep—a pleasant surprise since I now tend to sleep while watching movies.

I actually sang along with some of the songs, thus, revealing the generation I belong to. Three words: “Close To You.” As in “Why do birds suddenly appear/Every time you are near?/Just like me, they long to be/Close to you.” Yup, old songs.

If you loved “Moulin Rouge,” which was also a musical, I’m sure you’ll love the musical “Joker.”

But the songs didn’t reduce the movie’s darkness. Joker is still a dark character, and any movie that features only him as the main star, with no Batman in sight, is and will always be dark.

At least Batman somehow makes Joker look like a clown. Must be the contrast between Batman’s black and Joker’s colors. But without Batman, Joker is Arthur Fleck? Spoiler alert. Not exactly.

So, who is Joker? The answer is in “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

How timely for this movie to come out just when Pinas’ political candidates are filing their Certificates of Candidacy, with the political alliances, strategies and candidates inspiring Pinoy voters to say, Ka-joker.

The current list of Cagayan de Oro’s candidates may have names that don’t sound familiar to the Cagayanon. On Election Day, he will close his eyes, tap a ballpen on the ballot, and vote for the candidate whose name the ballpen manages to land on. Ka-joker.

CDO’s political scenario now has green-orange versus yellow-violet. Clown colors. Ka-joker.

Combining green and orange may produce brown or gray. Blah.

Combining yellow and violet may also produce brown or gray. Blah.

Here’s hoping these blah combo results will not translate to blah votes in 2025. Otherwise, que horror!

Here’s the question of all questions: When the opposition’s mayoral candidate said his “mission is to unseat Klarex,” did the non-Klarex fan say, Promise ha?

The Cagayanon has two choices now: mango and ube ice cream, or green tea and orange juice. Esep-esep pud ‘pag may time.

While the Cagayanon is making esep-esep over whom he will vote for in 2025, here’s one prediction he can bet on: Joaquin Phoenix will win an Oscar best actor again, much like the Oscar he won for the 2019 “Joker.”

By the way, “Folie à Deux” is French for “shared madness,” meaning, a “delusion or mental illness shared by two people in close association” (source: Oxford Languages). As if to prove a delusional point, Pogo’s is the name of a bar or nightclub in a musical fantasy scene in the movie. Nightclub. Haha. I should stop using words that reveal my age.

If you’re the only Pinoy still clueless about what a POGO is, better immigrate to China.

As to why the madness is shared, perhaps because Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga) is in the movie, too.

Shared madness may also refer to political alliances that are formed out of desperation.