It's probably not escaped anyone's notice that "Joker: Folie à deux" is a musical. For Joaquin Phoenix, it was a challenge to sing and dance, but he understood the point of distinguishing the sequel from the original film.
The important thing was to honor the first film, while being irreverent enough to go in a new direction, says Phoenix when TT meets him.
He is dressed in a t-shirt and hoodie, talkative and in good spirits. Joaquin Phoenix admits that it felt a bit nervous before the world premiere at the Venice Festival a few weeks ago, but now he seems to be looking forward to the film meeting the world.
In the first film, the cinema audience met him as the failed clown Arthur, who responded to society's scorn with murder and other crimes. Now he's in prison, where he meets Harley Quinn, played by Lady Gaga. What follows are song numbers, romance, trial, and a spectacular escape.
"Don't actually sing"
Phoenix says that he didn't really have a relationship with the classic song numbers, but that he, Lady Gaga, and director Todd Phillips bounced ideas around.
Mixing genres felt right, like a development of Arthur. I don't actually sing and at first, it felt uncomfortable doing it in front of someone who is as good a singer as Gaga. She saw how nervous I was.
Phoenix and Lady Gaga had not met before working on the film.
I went home to her, she had a lot of good ideas, she was warm and lovely and she knows an incredible amount about music.
Likes to take risks
He is an actor who likes to take risks, it "sparks" and inspires him.
A film costs a lot, it takes time and work, and if everything is too comfortable, it takes away the joy of making it. I look for jobs that make me feel uncomfortable. And the older you get, the more important it is to do what's not comfortable. Otherwise, the brain starts to slow down.
An example is learning to dance at the age of 48, he says.
When I was nine, I trained a little in tap dance and thought now that I'll remember this. I didn't. I trained for a year. And when it comes to the music numbers, it was important that they said something. It wasn't about finding the right tone, the songs had to express something.
Age: 49 years.
Family: Girlfriend Rooney Mara.
Lives: In Los Angeles.
Occupation: Actor.
Previous films in selection: "To the extreme", "The yards", "Gladiator", "Signs", "It's all about love", "The village", "Walk the line", "We own the night", "I'm still here", "The master", "You were never really here", "The Sisters brothers", "Joker", "Beau is afraid", "Napoleon".
Currently with: The cinema premiere of "Joker: Folie à deux" on 2/10.
