‘Joker 2’ Stirs Up the 2024 Venice Film Festival
“Joker 2,” starring Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix, received an 11-minute standing ovation at the 81st Venice Film Festival. The audience applauded the cast and crew following the film’s premiere on September 4 (local time). Lady Gaga thanked fans and blew kisses to the crowd, with her boyfriend, businessman Michael Polansky, also in attendance.
Directed by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Scott Silver and Bob Kane, the film is set two years after the original. It follows Arthur Fleck/Joker (played by Joaquin Phoenix), who is held at Arkham State Psychiatric Hospital awaiting trial for the murders of five people. There, he falls in love with music therapist Lee/Harley Quinn (played by Lady Gaga).
The film’s title, Folie À Deux, refers to a psychiatric syndrome where two people develop shared psychological disorders after living in close proximity, often socially or physically isolated and with limited interaction with others.
The film received mixed reviews from critics after its screening. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter commented that the film is uneven, with Lady Gaga’s performance standing out but the plot feeling thin and dull.
Jo-Ann Titmarsh of Evening Standard echoed Rooney’s sentiments, stating that the film fails to captivate the audience as the first installment did. “The lead characters are intriguing and complex, but the movie doesn’t really go anywhere,” she wrote.
Vulture highlighted that one of the film’s shortcomings is the lack of depth in Arthur’s character, despite Joaquin Phoenix’s best efforts. Meanwhile, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian pointed out that the simple plot left Lady Gaga’s character underdeveloped.
However, some critics praised the way Phillips portrayed the two main characters. Matthew Turner of NME wrote, “The filmmaker brings a new dimension to the Joker, different from the first film.”
The Independent noted that Todd Phillips evoked a nostalgic Hollywood vibe through the film’s musical numbers, with Phoenix’s powerful and emotional performance creating a deep connection with the audience.
Empire praised the film’s soundtrack for bringing the story to life, particularly the performances of Close to You (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) and For Once in My Life (Ron Miller, Orlando Murden).
Before the premiere, Phoenix took selfies with fans, while Gaga arrived to cheers, signing autographs. Warner Bros. Pictures executive Mike De Luca also attended the screening.
At a press conference before the screening, Lady Gaga and Phoenix exchanged compliments. “I truly enjoyed this project, it was a completely different experience from anything I’ve done before,” Gaga said.
Lady Gaga’s last appearance at the Venice Film Festival was in 2018 with Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born, which received an eight-minute standing ovation.
The first Joker film premiered in 2019 and won the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice Film Festival. It grossed over $1 billion at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film ever. Following its success, Warner Bros. approached Phillips to direct a sequel.
At the 2020 Oscars, the film received 11 nominations and won two awards, including Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix portrayed a man with a neurological disorder, unable to control his laughter, who becomes a symbol for rebellion in Gotham City. To prepare for the role, Phoenix lost 23.5 kilograms and spent months studying the laughter patterns of psychiatric patients.
