As a film critic with a background in musical theater and a soft spot for unconventional storytelling, I must say that “Joker: Folie à Deux” is a captivating spectacle that defies genre norms and pushes the boundaries of cinematic innovation. Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s raw, emotional performances breathe life into their characters’ twisted duet, making every note resonate with an authenticity that transcends the screen.
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga weren’t too fussed about slipping up slightly with their singing sometimes. Instead, they focused on creating authentic and genuine performances for the musical sequences in “Joker: Folie à Deux,” making sure that their complex numbers felt genuine to the audience.
Phoenix shared with EbMaster for their feature on Todd Phillips (the “Joker: Folie à Deux” director) that authenticity was crucial when it came to their song performances. They aimed to depart from traditional musical styles, avoiding vibrato and polished notes. Instead, they allowed the raw emotion of the moment to dictate their performance, focusing primarily on being true to each instant.
The movie is a continuation of the 2019’s “Joker,” which made a billion dollars at the cinema. In this new installment, Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian who finds himself in a psychiatric hospital following his live television murder of a talk show host (Robert De Niro), while dressed as a clown. His startling act of violence has sparked a movement, with one of the fellow patients, Harleen “Lee” Quinzell (Gaga), being among its followers. Known in the comics as Harley Quinn, she is a significant figure in this storyline.
Lee, along with numerous dissatisfied citizens of Gotham City, view Arthur’s alternate persona, the Joker, as a type of visionary. However, events take a turn for the bizarre when Arthur and Lee become entangled in a psychotic dance. Yet, this film doesn’t adhere to the conventional musical format; only Phoenix’s and Gaga’s characters break into song and dance. Many of their performances are imagined rather than actual, as Gaga clarifies. “Some of the music is imaginary, some of it’s part of the scene,” she says, suggesting a genre-defying approach.
Phillips perceived the music, filled with renditions like “Get Happy,” “That’s Entertainment,” and “For Once in My Life,” as a form of conversation. He explained it by saying, “It’s just Arthur expressing what he wants to say without words, so he sings it instead.”
On the filming site, the team members would ponder over the reasons for their personas to break into song instead of speaking.
“I pondered, ‘What circumstances would allow two individuals to spontaneously burst into song during a conversation?’ I wondered, ‘Where does the melody originate when only the characters can hear it?’ Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional musicians, so they shouldn’t sound like they are. Our aim was to portray their shared insanity in a manner that resonated with reality. I believe we all hold music close to our hearts, serving as a personal soundtrack for our inner feelings. A soundtrack that is usually inaudible to others but ourselves. That’s what we strove to represent through Arthur and Lee – the music within them.”
To bring out the “inner music” authentically, an unusual method was employed. Rather than having Lady Gaga and Phoenix lip-sync to prerecorded tracks, both actors performed live, with a hidden piano player providing accompaniment. During editing and post-production, these live performances were carefully pieced together to create one fluid song sequence. Later on, parts of the songs were re-recorded by the actors. This laborious process, which Phillips labeled as a “nightmare,” was crucial for authenticity.
“For Joaquin, it’s crucial to experience each moment authentically while performing, according to Phillips. It’s not feasible to make such decisions about his performance in a recording studio weeks prior to filming.”
As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but admire Bradley Cooper’s directorial daringness. He’s fearless and thrives on the unexpected, as Cooper puts it. To me, he’s not just a problem solver, but an exceptional one who manages to tackle issues on the fly with incredible skill.
GaGa admired the collaborative method used by this individual. “As a director, I believe he’d never settle on a specific point and dictate, ‘This is precisely how you should feel.’ Instead, I think he’s constantly delving into these two characters,” she explained.
As your friendly neighborhood movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that “Joker: Folie à Deux” is set to make its grand debut at the prestigious Venice Film Festival this autumn! Fasten your seatbelts as we’ll all get a chance to experience it in cinemas starting October 4th. Can’t wait to see what surprises this sequel has in store for us!
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2024-08-20 18:17