The Japan Times - Dark, music-filled 'Joker' sequel brings Lady Gaga star power to Venice

The megastar was the main attraction at the world premiere of "Joker: Folie a Deux" at the Venice Film Festival, one of 21 films vying for the top Golden Lion prize at the prestigious competition.

Todd Phillips's 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix subverted the codes of superhero films in a disturbing commentary on alienation in American society, with the film going on to win at Venice that year and handing a Best Actor Academy Award to Phoenix.

On the red carpet, Lady Gaga drew screams from fans, where she showed off an elaborate mask that suggested two pointy Batman ears draped with a swathe of Venetian lace, paired with a black velvet gown with a generous taffeta skirt.

Ahead of Wednesday's premiere, the pop star and actress confessed to having been "deeply moved" by the original film, in which an ignored, mocked and mentally ill stand-up comic, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), is driven to violence.

"The first film really deeply moved me, I loved it so much," Lady Gaga told a press conference, calling Phoenix's performance one that "set the bar extremely high".

"I think sometimes when stories are told about people that are maybe misunderstood by society, the director gives you a chance... to really take a hard look at that world in a deeper way," Lady Gaga said.

"I felt like when I watched the first film I got to understand something I may not have seen before, that's why I did this movie."

The sequel heavily relies on musical numbers to express the inner feelings of Fleck, in dark, brooding renditions of classics such as "Get Happy" or "For Once in my Life".

Phoenix told journalists how he "had this dream that I was performing as Joker doing songs and I just called Todd because I thought there might be something there."

That idea took flight, and Lady Gaga was the next piece of the puzzle, Phillips said.

Both actors sang live on set, Phoenix said, an element that created a "necessary" energy.

"Early on she was like 'Oh, we're going to sing live' and I was like 'No, we're not. You can sing live if you like.' And ultimately we did it and it was really the only way," Phoenix told journalists.

The film's music was a vehicle to "give characters way to express what they need to say," Lady Gaga said.

"We worked really hard on the way that we sang. For me it was a lot about unlearning technique and forgetting how to breathe, allowing the song to completely come out of the character," she said.

- High expectations -

In her return to the big screen after 2021's "House of Gucci", Lady Gaga plays Harley Quinn, the partner in crime and love interest of the Joker, with whom she becomes obsessed as he awaits trial for his murder spree.

The film -- loosely based on the DC Comics characters and set in a gritty Gotham City -- was wildly successful, grossing $1 billion at the box office but sparking criticism for its nihilistic violence.

Phillips said he was happy to return to Venice, but "a little more nervous" this time around.

"I think it's a lot easier to come in to something as the insurgent as opposed to coming in as the incumbent," he said.

"There's a lot more expectations on a second film so there's definitely a sense of more nervousness than I had with the first one."

In co-writing the screenplay with Scott Silver, Phillips said he knew it would have to be as daring as the original in order for Phoenix to sign on again.

"If we really were going to do it, it had to scare him in the same way the first one did. It had to feel audacious," he said.

This year's festival has been awash in Hollywood pizzazz, with a long roster of A-listers taking a twirl on the red carpet, from Daniel Craig and Angelina Jolie to Nicole Kidman and Michael Keaton.

K.Inoue--JT