The Best Robert Pattinson Is Weird Robert Pattinson
The Ringer believe that some of Rob’s best work is when he plays a secondary character, and here’s why:
The Devil All the Time is uncompromisingly bleak stuff … and that mood is matched in the ensemble’s somber performances.
But Pattinson proves to be the exception to that rule. As a predatory preacher in small-town Ohio, the actor seems to relish the chance to play a preening snake oil salesman—the kind of person who sees faith as the best means of manipulation and coercion. The phoniness of the preacher’s behavior is matched only by Pattinson’s hilariously over-the-top Southern accent and sacrilegiously poofy dress shirt. I’m not sure whether he deserves an Oscar or a Razzie; perhaps both.
The sheer campiness of Pattinson’s performance runs counter to everything else in The Devil All the Time—it’s the equivalent of a player ignoring a coach’s set play to do whatever the fuck he wants. But the effect of Pattinson’s work here is almost contagious: I couldn’t get enough of it, and suddenly I understood why all those parishioners couldn’t see through the preacher’s obvious facade. They were simply too beguiled to care.
The Devil All the Time is not the first instance of Pattinson appearing in a Netflix production where it appears he got a totally different memo from everyone else on set. In David Michod’s ultimately underwhelming The King, which was supposed to be another star-making turn for Timothée Chalamet, it’s Pattinson’s supporting work as the Dauphin of France that steals the show from his costar. Sporting Prince Charming–like blond locks and a French accent so thick and egregious it sounds like he’s constantly choking on a mouthful of escargot, Pattinson almost single-handedly saves The King—one ridiculous line reading at a time. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Robert Pattinson with Pepé Le Pew’s voice call Bowl Cut Timmy Chalamet someone who has, and I quote, “giant balls with a tiny cock.”
But just as well as Pattinson can call attention to himself, he can disappear into a role that requires something a bit more understated. In yet another supporting turn for James Gray’s masterful The Lost City of Z, Pattinson plays the aide-de-camp Henry Costin to Charlie Hunnam’s fabled real-life British explorer Percy Fawcett, who obsessed over finding an ancient lost city in the Amazon. Hiding behind a scraggly beard and old-timey spectacles, Pattinson is virtually unrecognizable, but carries a rugged grace while constantly following Fawcett through ordeals in the jungle that most would consider a living nightmare. It’s only when Costin starts a family of his own that he refuses to keep searching for Z with Fawcett, a choice Pattinson conveys with quiet consternation.
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It’s within this arthouse space, and in taking on bizarre supporting roles that appear antithetical to the interests of someone who has the look of a prototypical movie star, that Pattinson continues to impress. Call it the Jake Gyllenhaal Principle: He might be good-looking, but Robert Pattinson never seems more content than when he can get his freak on.
Despite his taking on one of the most sought-after superhero roles in Hollywood—not to mention starring in a time-bending Christopher Nolan movie—I hope filmmakers continue to let Pattinson cook as a weird character actor trapped in a leading man’s body. (While I haven’t seen Tenet because I care about my well-being, the fact that he plays a character who stole Nolan’s haircut is promising.) He’s sneakily become perhaps the single most exciting actor working right now; someone whose body of work radiates true chaotic energy. There’s no reason Robert Pattinson’s post-Twilight career can’t continue to sparkle, like a horny vampire in the sun.
Robert Pattinson #TheDevilAlltheTime Featured in Total Film
Total Film’s September 2020 issue features a sneak peek at The Devil All the Time. Nothing new about Rob or his character, but you can click for HQ to read.
Rob graces one of the covers of the holiday edition of Elle Man Poland. The magazine also includes an interview, which is similar to previous Elle magazines. Below is an extract which I’ve added for ease (Google translation). The full interview can be found in the holiday edition which is now on sale:
What would you tell teachers who discouraged you from attending the theater club?
I’m glad they thought so, because it made me very angry at the time. That’s why I started looking for theater outside of school. Then I found an agent. It wouldn’t happen if I only played in the school theater.
You’ve made 34 movies and series in 15 years. Do you still find joy in this job?
Now I have more of her! The more you do, the more you learn. And a new door opens in your mind. I used to think that acting is a test that you can’t fail. It may be so, but it doesn’t make much sense to think about it. If he detaches himself from thinking about the result, he simply begins to enjoy what he is doing. Not only in acting.
Can you choose among more interesting roles?
Yes. The older you are, the more you can do and finally you can talk to the director on an equal footing. Then the work turns into cooperation and more creative ideas are created. When you are younger, you have the mentality of a school kid. Someone tells you what to do. Then you can do it or say no. However, there is no room for partner discussion.
Do you read comments about yourself on the internet?
I read when my movie enters theaters.
And when they write badly, it touches you so much?
When I was younger it hurt a lot. But later I noticed that reading negative comments is strangely addictive. Addicts more than reading good. You can read a hundred good and one bad and you will be thinking just about this bad. When it came to me, I stopped worrying.
And if a negative comment about your work is sent by someone you care about?
This is rare. I think my intended isolation helps. It’s fun not to exist on Instagram. Then many unpleasant things just pass you by.
Do you consider yourself a millennium? You are 34 years old.
I think that I’m mentally closer to the previous generation. Millennials attach great importance to social media, and for me they are not important. They rather annoy me. I see no reason to publish something about myself or take pictures and post them later on the web … It just seems unnecessary and even crazy to me.
You’ve made many movies lately. Soon new premieres: “Tenet” by Christopher Nolan and later “Batman” announced a long time ago. Can you tell about them
I can’t say much about “Tenet” or “Batman” yet. I don’t even know much about it myself! “Tenet” is to be in theaters this summer. Pictures for “Batman” will not start until the end of the year.
Were you willing to accept this role?
Yes. I really wanted to play it. I’ve always dreamed of diversity in this profession. After a few more intimate movies, I wanted to play a super-production and I think I downloaded them with my thoughts. Suddenly Chris Nolan from Tenet and Matt Reeves from Batman appeared. They are both really amazing and extraordinary directors. I would agree to play every role in their films.
You’ve been training a lot lately. Are these preparations for the role of Batman?
Yes. I go to training every day. If I work on a given day, I go after the pictures. I’m building a silhouette (laughs). This is fun because I’ve never been such a big muscular guy before.
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