Lip Readers Think Joaquin Phoenix Told Lady Gaga His Unfiltered Opinion of 'Joker 2' in This Clip
In 2019, Joaquin Phoenix shined bright as the utterly sinister villain Joker in, you guessed it, Joker. The role, which was raved by viewers, also landed Phoenix his first-ever Oscar win. So, of course, fans of the actor were excited to see him reprise his role with co-star Lady Gaga in this year’s sequel, Joker: Folie à Deux.
Sadly, however, as reviews for the new movie musical begin to be released, it’s safe to say it’s been the opposite of a box office success for viewers and critics alike. “The falloff in quality from Joker, a genuinely searing innovation in comic-book movies, to this one is so steep that it’s comparable to the dropoff between The Hangover and The Hangover Part II,” wrote on critic for Rotten Tomatoes.
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And, most recently, a viral clip of Phoenix and Gaga at the movie’s premiere at the 2024 Venice Film Festival shows that Phoenix himself wasn’t too impressed either.
“It’s horrible,” online lip readers think Phoenix whispered to Gaga as they took in their standing ovation. “No, it’s not,” the “Bad Romance” singer responded. “Don’t say that.”
“I do think it was,” Phoenix then reportedly repeated. “You think so? Why is that?” Gaga asked. “The ending could’ve been different,” he told her. “No, I loved it,” she responded, opening up a wide smile for the audience.
In the comments, fans are speculating what really happened for Phoenix to be so blindsided by the end result. “So there’s a story here, phoenix does not look pleased, I wonder if they used a different ending he didn’t agree with,” wrote one commenter. “The director filmed like 4 endings to avoid spoilers,” another commenter said about the movie’s director, Todd Philipps. “So this reaction is true, Joaquin didn’t like the ending that was chosen.”
In another clip, this time in a sit-down interview of the co-stars with Good Morning Britain, the two shared another telling moment. “You’ve seen it, is it everything you expected?” the journalist asked. Gaga and Phoenix then just looked at each other, took an awkward pause and laughed.
“Tell them how you feel, Joaquin,” Gaga said, setting up the stage for her co-star. “Well I was there, I made the movie, so I did know what was gonna happen,” Phoenix said. “It’s so hard to talk about because, look, I think that we achieved what we set out to do.”
If you ask us, Phoenix’s response continues to show how unimpressed he is with his new movie. And, from the looks of it, he isn’t the only one either.
Before you go, click here to see our favorite movies and TV shows about imperfect, complicated women.
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