Sunday, December 30, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
David Cronenberg talks about Rob with Entertainment Tonight!
Twilight vamp Robert Pattinson plays a bloodsucker of an altogether different kind – the Wall Street kind – in his new movie Cosmopolis, on Blu-ray and DVD New Year's Day, and the film's director David Cronenberg tells ETonline that he was actually quite impressed with what Rob brought to the table, and that after the baggage of casting -- once you get to that point when you're on set and cameras are rolling -- "Twilight is irrelevant."
"He surprised me every day with good stuff," says Cronenberg. "I don't do rehearsals, and I try not to shape the actor's performance at first. I want to see what his intuition is going to deliver. And then if there's a problem then I start to shape it, nudge it, manipulate it a little bit. I did very little of that with Rob."
Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis follows one day in the wild life of multi-billionaire asset manager Eric Packer, who travels aimlessly through the streets of New York City in his limousine while conducting investment trading from the back seat. As the day progresses, it devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart.
"He absolutely would say to you right now, 'I had no idea what I was doing at any time,' and he would mean it," says the veteran director of Rob's performance. "I think he really didn't realize how good he was. … He was surprising himself, but he was surprising me by his accuracy. It was just dead on. I mean, by the end of it we were doing one take. Honestly the whole last scene, the whole last shot in the movie with him and Paul [Giamatti] -- one take. And it's a long take as well. And it's very emotional, and very subtle. One take for both of them, it was so good. … In fact, we finished the shoot five days early, and a lot of that was due to Rob."
Of course, when Cronenberg first cast Rob, he had to overcome what he calls Twilight "baggage," explaining, "You often have to consider what we call baggage for an actor, and you have to decide whether it's a problem or not. I hate the idea of it because I know I'm going to be on the set with the guy at three in the morning shooting in the streets of Toronto, and none of that stuff is relevant. We're just two people trying to make the movie work. So his past performances, or his fame, or lack of it, or whatever the factor is, is at that point irrelevant. What's relevant only is what we can do creatively with each other.
"On the other hand, when you're financing a movie you have to have lead actors who have some weight and some substance and will attract investors so that you can get your movie financed, so it's a weird situation," he continues. "Aside from the fact that yes, he was an exciting and interesting, surprising choice in terms of how investors viewed it -- and it worked because we got the financing for the movie -- after that Twilight is irrelevant, you know?"
What mattered most to Cronenberg was that his lead could carry the scene and had the proper charisma: "It starts very simply with is he the right age, does he have the right look, does he have the right presence onscreen?" he says. "He is in absolutely every scene in the movie, and that's really quite rare. Even in a movie with Tom Cruise, you don't see Tom in every scene. But in this case you do, and so he has to have some charisma. You have to want to watch him for that long and that intensely, because I knew I was going to be crawling all over his face with the camera."
Of course, it wouldn't be a David Cronenberg film without a little oral or anal fixation – themes prominently placed in such films of his as Naked Lunch, Dead Ringers and Videodrome – and there's an especially amusing scene during Cosmopolis in which Rob gets examined by a doctor in his limo and discovers that he has an "asymmetrical prostate."
"Orifices are the entry and exit of our bodies, and that really talks about identity and where the boundaries of an individual identity end and where the environment begins," says a straight-faced Cronenberg, adding with a laugh, "I could do an academic analysis of my own movies, but that wouldn't help me create [my new] movies. … You could do that analysis and make those connections amongst the movies, and you'd be correct."
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Saturday, December 22, 2012
David Cronenberg talks about Rob in his interview with First Post!
A lot has been said about your unconventional choice of Robert Pattinson for the lead role.
The thing I liked about Rob Pattinson as an actor is that he’s a serious actor. And you could lose sight of that, because he’s had this big popular success with the Twilight movies, but he is not afraid to play a character who is difficult to like, you know, because some actors are afraid to do that, because they feel it is too personal, that they themselves will not be liked by their audience, and so on. But a real actor is not afraid to play an unsympathetic character, and Rob is a real actor.
Also, I think to be an actor, you need intelligence, first of all. For example, Rob immediately realised that the script was quite funny, and most people don’t get that. Then you want sensitivity to the subtleties of the movie, in terms of what is going on in the movie, the dialogue and so on. And Rob, personally, is very knowledgeable about cinema.
(chuckles) I don’t think his Twilight fans realise this about him, but he’s really an aficionado about art cinema. I mean, on the set I’d find him talking to Juliette Binoche about obscure French cinema, (chuckles) so you know, he brings a real depth of understanding of the history and art of cinema and all of those things mean that you have a lot of power and a lot of responsiveness from your actor as a director. It’s like driving the Ferrari instead of driving, you know, a Volkwagen Beetle. And you get that with Rob. I must also add, he’s very down to earth and very easy to work with. He’s not diva at all, you know. He’s really a sweetheart.
The thing I liked about Rob Pattinson as an actor is that he’s a serious actor. And you could lose sight of that, because he’s had this big popular success with the Twilight movies, but he is not afraid to play a character who is difficult to like, you know, because some actors are afraid to do that, because they feel it is too personal, that they themselves will not be liked by their audience, and so on. But a real actor is not afraid to play an unsympathetic character, and Rob is a real actor.
Also, I think to be an actor, you need intelligence, first of all. For example, Rob immediately realised that the script was quite funny, and most people don’t get that. Then you want sensitivity to the subtleties of the movie, in terms of what is going on in the movie, the dialogue and so on. And Rob, personally, is very knowledgeable about cinema.
(chuckles) I don’t think his Twilight fans realise this about him, but he’s really an aficionado about art cinema. I mean, on the set I’d find him talking to Juliette Binoche about obscure French cinema, (chuckles) so you know, he brings a real depth of understanding of the history and art of cinema and all of those things mean that you have a lot of power and a lot of responsiveness from your actor as a director. It’s like driving the Ferrari instead of driving, you know, a Volkwagen Beetle. And you get that with Rob. I must also add, he’s very down to earth and very easy to work with. He’s not diva at all, you know. He’s really a sweetheart.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Rob with fans in NYC (December 20th)!
@AlliHeathe: he was filming a commercial today around the block from where I work! :)
"Did you actually see that it was commercial for Dior or is it maybe? Hope it's definite"
@AlliHeathe: they told me it was a French commercial so I think so
"Did you actually see that it was commercial for Dior or is it maybe? Hope it's definite"
@AlliHeathe: they told me it was a French commercial so I think so
Fan pictures
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Videos [source]
Friday, December 14, 2012
James Marsh, 'Hold on to Me' director, talks about Rob & the movie!
[...] So if Marsh plans on filming this mini series, with no official title yet, next summer, where does this leave Hold on to Me, his project with Rob Pattinson and Carey Mulligan?
"It's going well." Marsh reassure us. "I think about starting the shoot at the beginning of 2013 if our funds are secure." Often compared to 'To Die For' by Gus Van Sant because of its pitch (a beauty queen kidnaps and buries alive a man for money), Marsh points out that he finds the comparison appropriate even though "Boogie Nights will also be a model to Hold on to Me, ton wise. It's one of my favorite movies cause it goes from dark to humorous in a second. Hold on to Me will be a dark comedy. My documentaries had humour - at least i hope - whereas my fictional works were heavier. This one will be more high-spirited." An opus that might change Marsh's carreer since it stars Robert Pattinson. "Robert is interesting. He knows where he wants to go and he wants to work on projects that might help him shape himself, like Cosmopolis. He uses his fame and his energy to help people, like me, make interesting movies. He has a lot of potential. When we met I loved his attitude towards the cinema genre. He liked the script and talked to me about it in an intelligent way. He's going to be a great asset for Hold on to Me and I hope that with him on board, it'll round up tons of teenage girls in the movies theaters to corrupt them. *laughs*"
Finally, Marsh revealed to us the name of the actor he covets to complete the casting: "I would like to hire an actor from the show Girls, Adam Driver. He's an amazing actor, not very well-known. It would end up forming such a great triangle with Robert and Carey."
"It's going well." Marsh reassure us. "I think about starting the shoot at the beginning of 2013 if our funds are secure." Often compared to 'To Die For' by Gus Van Sant because of its pitch (a beauty queen kidnaps and buries alive a man for money), Marsh points out that he finds the comparison appropriate even though "Boogie Nights will also be a model to Hold on to Me, ton wise. It's one of my favorite movies cause it goes from dark to humorous in a second. Hold on to Me will be a dark comedy. My documentaries had humour - at least i hope - whereas my fictional works were heavier. This one will be more high-spirited." An opus that might change Marsh's carreer since it stars Robert Pattinson. "Robert is interesting. He knows where he wants to go and he wants to work on projects that might help him shape himself, like Cosmopolis. He uses his fame and his energy to help people, like me, make interesting movies. He has a lot of potential. When we met I loved his attitude towards the cinema genre. He liked the script and talked to me about it in an intelligent way. He's going to be a great asset for Hold on to Me and I hope that with him on board, it'll round up tons of teenage girls in the movies theaters to corrupt them. *laughs*"
Finally, Marsh revealed to us the name of the actor he covets to complete the casting: "I would like to hire an actor from the show Girls, Adam Driver. He's an amazing actor, not very well-known. It would end up forming such a great triangle with Robert and Carey."
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Rob's interview with Seventeen magazine (Latin America)!
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Do Taylor and you learn to love each other in this movie?
Sure! I give him my daughter! That’s love. You could even say this entire thing is a love story between Edward and Jacob.
Sure! I give him my daughter! That’s love. You could even say this entire thing is a love story between Edward and Jacob.
What’s your favorite memory of this experience?
One time Peter stole a bike, it was hilarious! Or when we filmed in Brazil, it was like saying “We’ve done this for years and now we’re in Brazil,” Kristen and I were wearing bathing suits in front of 6,000 Brazilians with water guns and cameras.
What was happening?
We were filming in the jungle, we had to make out and pretend we were in a waterfall.
We were filming in the jungle, we had to make out and pretend we were in a waterfall.
How do you deal with the paparazzi and the madness that follows you everywhere?
You learn to live with it. If you look at the cameras, the flashes blind you. You can’t even smile around these people.
You learn to live with it. If you look at the cameras, the flashes blind you. You can’t even smile around these people.
This success came over too fast, did it make you grow up faster than people your age?
When you’re making movies like these, and there’s people waiting for you outside your hotels, you’re living a very unusual life. You’re actually scared of not being a normal person because you don’t get to meet new people very often. I don’t know if I’m growing faster than people my age. I don’t feel different than my friends. I’m just myself.
When you’re making movies like these, and there’s people waiting for you outside your hotels, you’re living a very unusual life. You’re actually scared of not being a normal person because you don’t get to meet new people very often. I don’t know if I’m growing faster than people my age. I don’t feel different than my friends. I’m just myself.
Do you believe in the power of love, a love that lasts a lifetime like in the movies?
Definitely, yes. It sounds cheesy, but I see it with my parents. My dad met my mom when she was 17 and they’re still happily together.
That’s not cheesy.
No, it’s rather cute, especially when most of the kids at my school had parents going through divorces. So it was great seeing my parents sticking together.
Do you ever get privacy anymore?
I can manage in London, actually. It’s so different. In America it’s much harder.
I can manage in London, actually. It’s so different. In America it’s much harder.
What’s been your biggest lesson so far? Has something happened that made you change the way you see things forever?
I believe in keeping your family and friends close, because they’ll treat you the same no matter what. Real relationships are not affected by whatever happens in life. Knowing that you’ll always keep something special no matter what happens is something that has made an impact in my life. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve received in life.
Full interview at the source|via
I believe in keeping your family and friends close, because they’ll treat you the same no matter what. Real relationships are not affected by whatever happens in life. Knowing that you’ll always keep something special no matter what happens is something that has made an impact in my life. That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve received in life.
Full interview at the source|via
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