JoaquinPhoenixis prettysureEmpirehateshim.
Wedon’t.“It’sokay,man,it’sokay,”hesays.
“Youhateme.”
We’re 30 minutesintoourinterviewabout
Joker, andthere’sbeenlittledirectJokertalk.
“Idon’tknowhowtotalkaboutthismovie,
man!”hesays.Hehatestalkingshopatthebest
oftimes,buttheexperienceofmakingJoker
hassoprofoundlyaffectedhimthathedoesn’t
wanttoruinit withanythingapproaching
explanation.Dressedinblackherebythepool
atLosAngeles’A-listhideawaytheChateau
Marmont,heenthusesforeveraboutworking
withJoker’s writer-directorToddPhillips,
butyouwanttoknowhowhefeelsabouthis
character?Goodluck.
“AmI theworstthatyou’veeverhadtodeal
with?”heasks.“You’relike,‘OhGod,hedoesn’t
giveyouanything,andthenwhenhedoesit’sjust
worthless?’”Wedidn’tsaythat.Helaughs.“Do
youunderstand,I’mnotwantingtogiveyou
a hardtimeoranything...Comeon,man!You
camesucha longway.It breaksmyheart.”
Heexplainswhysittingdowntopickthis
apartis sotough.“MyconnectionwithTodd
andwhatwewereuncoveringinthismovieis
somethingreallyspecialtome,”hesays.“Lucky
foryou,”hecontinuessarcastically,“you’rethe
first”—hehasn’tdoneanypriorpressforthe
film—“andsoI haven’tfiguredoutyethow
toletgoofmypersonalfeelings.Becauseit
feelsliketalkingabouta romanticrelationship
withsomebody.Anintimaterelationship.We
werejusttogetherallthetime.”Phillips,who
wemeetthenextday,is similarlyaffectedby
what’sgoneon.From day one, this has been
very, very special.
Above:Joaquin
Phoenixclownsupas
theJoker.Right:
Phoenixanddirector
ToddPhillipsonset.
Below:ArthurFleck,
thecivilian
incarnationofthe
Joker,wrestleshis
demons.Theywould
seemto
be winning.