director Todd Phillips found a new and interesting way to portray the comic villain joker to life in his first film, and now he continues this story in the sequel, Joker: Foil for TwoIn this new story, Arthur Fleck experiences a new phase, with a new leading actress.
Fans know the character Harley Quinn from comics, films and television series, but this version, played by the actress and musician Lady Gagawill be very different from any version we’ve seen before. Phillips said this in a recent interview with Variety about the film, explaining:
“We left out the high-pitched voice, the accent, the gum-chewing and all the cheeky stuff from the comics. We wanted her to fit into this world of Gotham that we created in the first film.”
Gaga has proven that she can belt out any kind of music, and Phoenix, who once Johnny Cash in “Walk the Line”, can also keep up. But Phillips and his Joker: Foil for Two Stars wanted to create a rougher, more unstable sound that fluctuated between euphoria and despair, even if that required occasional singing out of key.
Gaga said about the unconventional musical role:
“We asked ourselves what would be possible for two people to start singing in the middle of a conversation? Where does the music come from if no one can hear it except the characters? Neither Arthur nor Lee are professional singers and they shouldn’t sound like them.”
Phoenix agreed, saying, “It was important to me that we never perform the songs in the way you normally do in a musical. We didn’t want vibrato and perfect notes.” Instead, the goal was to do something “nerve-racking but honest.” The result is captivating in the way Phoenix’s uninhibited trance dancing in the first joker was so incredibly captivating.
In many musicals, the actors sing along to a pre-recorded song. In this film, Phoenix and Gaga did everything live, accompanied by an off-camera piano player who tried to keep up with the tempo they set. In the editing room, Phillips then tried to synchronize the disparate recordings into a coherent whole, which he describes as a “nightmare.”
“With Joaquin in particular, it’s about feeling the moment as you experience it,” says Phillips. “It’s not something you can decide three weeks before you’re in the recording studio.”
Phoenix and Gaga are known for going to extremes for their performances: She spoke to House of Gucci; he lost 52 pounds for the first time joker (and he looks just as gaunt in the sequel.) Did they use the full method on the set of this film?
Phillips answered this question by saying:
“I don’t even really know what Method means. Does he take it seriously? Does she take it seriously? Sure. But he doesn’t stay in character 24 hours a day. With her, I’d say she does that a lot more than he does. But as a director, I’m all for doing whatever it takes to get them where they need to be.”
Phillips has always been drawn to those moments when a character’s carefully cultivated facade cracks and a primal spirit is released.
“I love the chaos that comes with it. Most of us walk around with this version that we present to the world, but there is this shadow self. And I’m always fascinated by people when that mask falls away and that other side comes out.”
I think everyone who liked the first film is curious to see how the sequel turns out. Are you looking forward to seeing it?
Joker: Foil for Two The release is scheduled for October 4, 2024.
