By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
VENICE, Italy (AP) --Five years after “Joker ” won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, director Todd Phillips can’t help but be a little nervous about returning with its sequel.
“Joker: Folie à Deux,” one of the most anticipated films of the 81st edition of the festival, is having its world premiere in competition Wednesday night with stars Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in attendance.
“It feels right, it feels correct to be back in Venice. It felt like the logical launching off point for us,” Phillips said ahead of the premiere. “On this one I’m a little more nervous. It’s a lot easier to come into something as the insurgent rather than the incumbent.”
A sequel was more a joke than an inevitability to Phillips and Phoenix while making the first movie. For one, Phoenix is not the kind of actor to jump at a “franchise.” But then an idea emerged to explore the music that Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, is hearing in his head. It would have to be as bold, unexpected and audacious as the first, they thought.
That first film had resonated in a way that no one quite expected: It made over $1 billion at the box office and won Phoenix the best actor Oscar. One of its fans was Gaga, who said that it “really deeply moved me” and showed her something she had never seen before.
“Joker: Folie à Deux” finds’ Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck institutionalized and awaiting trial for his crimes. The last film ended after he shoots late night host Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) on live television, which has made him a God to a certain set, including Gaga’s Harley Quinn who he meets in a different ward. The two fall immediately in love and take to song to express themselves.
Both Phoenix and Gaga sang live for the film, with a pianist just off camera who, she said, felt like another actor in the scene in a way.
“For me it was kind of about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe and allowing the song to come completely out of the character,” Gaga said. “It gives the characters a way to express what they need to say.”
Phoenix, who initially balked at the idea of singing live, added: “Part of the joy at least for me was taking these songs that were standards and trying to find a way that they were specific to the characters.”
They also learned various choreography over the course of months for several different numbers, including a waltz in the rain. But even with the training and practice, they said, things had a tendency to change in the moment.
“We all really thrived in the moment and in the chaos of it all,” Gaga said. “We had to find it every day. What was the truth of the scene, what was the honest moment.”
She added: “You can learn a song, learn a routine for a dance…but that’s not always the most honest thing to do on camera.”
Phoenix recently made headlines for leaving a Todd Haynes film several days before it was to start shooting. He declined to elaborate on the situation, saying it wouldn’t be fair to the other creatives involved who were not available to comment. He also said he didn’t want to focus on the weight he lost to play Arthur Fleck. During the press tour for the last film, he regretted speaking about it so much.
Gaga made a grand entrance to the Lido on Wednesday several hours before the red-carpet premiere. Fans and photographers clamored around the docks outside of the Excelsior Hotel hoping to catch a glimpse of her arriving. She popped her head out of the private water taxi, alongside Phillips and Phoenix, as fans nearby shouted “Gaga! Gaga! Gaga!” in unison.
On the dock, she blew kisses to the excitable fans, stopped to sign several autographs, and accepted flowers from one eager onlooker. She wore an elegant black dress, beret and sunglasses offsetting her blonde hair.
In a festival lineup full of major Hollywood stars, including the likes of Angelina Jolie, George Clooney and Brad Pitt, Gaga is in a class of her own with her knack for creating a memorable red carpet moment.
Six years ago, for “A Star Is Born,” she made a splash playing the part of the movie star — and gave the festival some of its most iconic shots in recent memory. Remember her perched on the side of the private water taxi in that black Jonathan Simkhai bustier dress, blowing kisses to fans and photographers? Or her show-stopping pale pink feathered Valentino Couture gown that seemed to pop even more against the rainy backdrop?
Reviews for the new film will be out in a few hours, which could dictate the trajectory of the film for months to come and whether or not it is once again an Oscar contender or another billion-dollar box office hit.
The Joker sequel is competing again for the festival’s main prizes against the likes of Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door,”Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.”Pablo Larraín’s “Maria” and Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl.” Awards will be presented on the final day of the festival, Sept. 7.
“The hard part of this is you feel eyeballs on you,” Phillips said. “You just have a different pressure.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs Is Arrested In NY After Federal Indictment
Sean "Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop mogul who has faced a stream of allegations by women accusing him of sexual assault, was arrested late Monday in New York after he was indicted by a federal grand jury.
The indictment was sealed and details of the charges weren't immediately announced by prosecutors, but the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Damian Williams, confirmed in a statement that federal agents had Combs in custody.
"We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time," Williams said in a statement.
Combs was arrested in a Manhattan hotel lobby, according to a person familiar with the arrest who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs had been cooperating with the investigation and had relocated to New York last week in anticipation of charges being brought.
"We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney's Office," Agnifilo said, describing his client as a music icon and a "loving family man."
"He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal," Agnifilo said in a statement, adding "Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The criminal charges are a major but not unexpected takedown of one of the most prominent producers and most famous names in the history of hip-hop.
The federal investigation of Combs, 58, was revealed when Homeland Security Investigations agents served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami... Read More