Joaquin Phoenix FaceTimed ‘Joker 2’ co-star’s mum to “scare her” as a prank

nme.com:

Joker: Folie à Deux has revealed that Joaquin Phoenix FaceTimed his mother in character as a prank on the set of the film.The upcoming movie is a sequel to 2019’s Joker and is released in cinemas on October 4, after receiving its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month.It catches up with Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker, while he is a patient at a mental health facility after the events of the first film, where he falls in love with Lady Gaga’s Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel, aka Harley Quinn.Industry’s Harry Lawtey plays Harvey Dent in the film, and in a new interview with Variety, he revealed that Phoenix, who stayed in full makeup throughout filming, suggested they create a memorable experience for Lawtey’s mum during their time together on set.“Joaquin suggested, as a joke, that we FaceTime my mum and scare her,” he said. “My mum was in England, so it was quite late, and she was getting ready for bed.

And I said, ‘Hello,’ and then I brought the phone up to my face, and Joaquin put his head on my shoulder. My mum screamed, ran away and woke up my dad.”Much has also been made of the film’s embrace of the musical genre, with director Todd Phillips‘s decision being hailed by Gaga as “a very big swing”, while she also praised the film’s “audacity and complexity”.In a four-star review of Folie à Deux, NME wrote: “As with the original movie, the film looks gorgeous throughout, with cinematographer Lawrence Sher making strong use of colour and conjuring up some beautiful images – highlights include an overhead shot of some umbrellas (referencing Jacques Demy’s 1964 musical The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg) and a stunningly lit frame of Arthur lighting a cigarette in his prison cell that resembles a lovingly.