Interview with Robert Pattinson:
Were you familiar with Don DeLillo’s novel?
No. But I had read some of his other novels. I first read the screenplay David Cronenberg sent me, and then the novel. One is incredibly true to the other, it is faithful in a way that seems impossible, for a novel that seemed impossible to adapt. But even before reading the book, what impressed me the most about the script was the quick-paced rhythm and the unrelenting tension.
What was it about this film that appealed to you the most?
Cronenberg, obviously! I have played in only a few films, and none of them came close to what I expected working with him would be like. I wasn’t disappointed… I knew he would be very creative, and that it would be a real experience. And I was appealed by the writing of the script, like a kind of long poem. And a mysterious poem too. Usually when you read a script, you quickly know what it is about, where it is going, how it will end, even if there might be unexpected or sophisticated twists and turns in the plot. But this time it was completely different, the further I read, the less I could figure out where it was leading, and the more I wanted to be a part of it. It doesn’t fit any film genre whatsoever, it is in a league of its own.
When you first read the script, did you see yourself in the role, could you imagine what it would look like visually?
Not at all. The first time I spoke to David, it is exactly what I told him, that I didn’t visualize anything, and he thought it was a good thing. Besides, I think that at this point, he wasn’t thinking much ahead, it all evolved in a progressive, organic way, starting from the text, towards the many visual choices that shape the film. It is a living process. Even during the first week of shooting, we were all still wondering what the film would look like once finished. It was fascinating, I felt like the film was fashioning itself.
Now that it’s done, is the film much different from the script, or on the contrary did you stick to what was written?
It is hard to say, because the film acts on different levels. I’ve seen it twice, the first time I was amazed by its farcical side, which I knew was there during the shooting, but which was unexpectedly apparent. The second time, the gravity of what was at stake prevailed. Both times, there was an audience attending, but the reactions were wide-ranging, from laughter to tension over the dark side Cosmopolis also has. Despite its complexity, I was amazed by the way it reaches a wide range of emotions.
In your opinion, who is Eric Packer? How would you describe him?
To me, Eric is someone who feels like he belongs to another reality, who lives as if he was born on an other planet, and who tries to discover in which reality he should be living. In fact, he doesn’t understand the world as it is.
Yet he has enough understanding of the world to make a fortune in it.
Sure, but in a very abstract way. Banking, broking or speculating are disconnected activities, he has done well in them, not as a genuine specialist or a mastermind, but rather thanks to a kind of instinct, something much more mysterious, with the help of algorithms not unlike magical formulas. You can see in the film, as well as in the book, that his approach of financial data tends to project him in the future, so much so that he doesn’t know how to live in the present anymore. He probably grasps the workings of the real world somehow, but only in peculiar and obscure ways.
Did you talk about it with David Cronenberg?
A bit, yes, but he liked me to search for something unexplained and unexplainable. He particularly liked it when I played without really knowing what I was doing, and as soon as he felt that I was making up chains of cause and effect, or coming out with a logical explanation for Eric’s behaviour, he would interrupt the take. It was a very odd kind of directing, entirely based on feelings rather than ideas.
How did you prepare for the part?
David doesn’t like rehearsals. We didn’t talk much about the film before the shooting. And I only met the other actors on set, during production. I discovered them as they appeared, literally, on Eric Packer’s limousine. And it was quite pleasant. From the beginning of the shooting, I sort of lived inside the film, and inside the car: I was always there, it was my home, and I welcomed the other actors in my space, sitting tight on this kind of captain’s chair, with everybody visiting me. Being used like that to this environment felt particularly comfortable. Everyone else had to adapt to what was basically my world.
Did you have an input about your character’s looks or wardrobe?
I did, but the thing is he had to have a neutral look, we tried to avoid the most obvious or stereotyped features of rich businessmen or traders. The only discussion was about the choice of the sunglasses at the beginning, I searched for the most indefinable pair, one that wouldn’t say anything about the character.
What difference does it makes to shoot scenes as much as possible in script order?
It is really important, it has a cumulative effect that shapes the film. At first, nobody really knows what the tone of the whole film will be – well, maybe David (Cronenberg) does, but he won’t let it show. For the crew, it is this cumulative effect, as the character reveals more about himself, which slowly builds the identity of the film. It also allows the character to loosen up while his life is falling apart.
One of the particularities of the part is that, one by one, you get to meet many different actors. How does it feel?
When I agreed to make the film, the only actor already on board was Paul Giamatti, which I found was great. Then, it was both magical and slightly scary to see Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton, Mathieu Amalric… show up like that. Each of them brought a different tone. It wasn’t easy for them either, all the more so as David expects the actors to transform their acting, to let go of their habits. It was challenging for them, in such a short time. As for me, I was sort of settled in this world, in tune with its rhythm, but the others had to get used to it right away. Actually, some made up very creative things while we were shooting. Notably Juliette Binoche, who came out with an unbelievable number of acting options.
Would you say that there were various styles of acting, especially due to the different nationalities involved, or that everybody ended up fitting Cronenberg’s mould?
Oh no, there were different sensibilities, and I think that David was eager for that. Paradoxically, this diversity is emphasized by all the characters being supposedly American, except for Mathieu Amalric. Such diversity is congruent with New York, where almost everybody seems to come from a different place, and where the mother tongue of so many people isn’t English. Of course, the film doesn’t aim for realism, including about the city of New York, it never insists on a precise location. But having actors with different backgrounds mirrors New York, just as it contributes to the strangeness and abstraction of the film.
As far as you are concerned, did you have any references in mind, maybe other actors to draw inspiration from?
Quite the opposite, actually, I tried to steer clear of any possible reference. I especially didn’t want to remind the audience of other films about Wall Street, financers, rich bankers, etc. It was more about finding the right a state of mind than relying on usual attitudes or acting effects.
Do you remember Cronenberg having any particular demands, focusing on certain points when working together?
He insisted that we had to say the dialogues exactly as they were written, to the letter. He wouldn’t tolerate any variation. The screenplay depends to a large extent on rhythm, we had to comply with that as far elocution was concerned. He was positive about that, so he made very little takes, which I found quite scary. On Paul Giamatti’s first day on set, Paul delivered in one breath his character’s long monologue, certainly the longest line in the whole film, and David shot it in a single take. It was done, we moved on. I was enthralled with Paul’s performance, with David’s promptness, and with the way he looked so sure the take was good.
Did you like working this way, scrupulously delivering dialogues as they were written?
It created something I wasn’t familiar with, which is precisely what motivated me the most about making this film. I had never been asked anything like that, usually scripts aren’t followed scrupulously, they are just a foundation and actors are supposed to make them their own. In my previous films, dialogues were flexible. This time, it was like acting in a play: when you play Shakespeare, you cannot rephrase the lines.
Incidentally, the limousine is a bit like a stage somehow.
Absolutely. And in such a setting, it is possible to shoot one scene or another, which means you have to be ready to play several of them. I spent a lot of time learning all the lines, for the first time since I started out as a stage actor, quite a long time ago now. It creates a tension, you have to remain on the alert, which is for the best… Even though it forced me to live the life of a recluse during the shooting: I had to know the part, remember dozens of pages and stay focus. But actually it is quite a pleasant feeling. It’s better than on most sets, where everything is fractioned.
What was the most difficult thing for you about the shooting?
It was disturbing to play a character who doesn’t go through an obvious evolution or follow a predictable path. Actually he does, it is even a hell of an evolution, although not in the way we usually get to see characters change. But David completely controlled this dimension. I have never worked with a director so much in control of his film, who considers himself fully in charge of each and every aspect of it, knowing exactly what he wants, every step of the way. At first I found it unsettling, but gradually I felt more and more confident and relaxed.
Interview with David Cronenberg:
How did you choose the actors?
To begin with, as was done for A Dangerous Method, the actors that I have chosen are not what I had in mind. For Cosmopolis, in the main character I wanted Colin Farrell and Elise, his wife, Marion Cotillard. But Farrell was already honoring other contractual commitments and Marion Cotillard was pregnant. So, I changed the script sew on a very young player – in tune with the idea of the novel – and consequently his wife should be younger. I thought it was better that way. The real problem arises when closing agreements for funding from the protagonist’s name. Fortunately, it was not my case.
So you thought then that Robert Pattinson was right?
Yes I found him interesting in Twilight, even though the work done falls under very special. I saw him in Little Ashes and Remember Me, and I was convinced that he could be my Eric Packer. It is a heavy role and he appears in each scene. I don’t think I’ve ever done before a movie where the actor is always on the screen. The choice of an actor is a matter of intuition, there are no rules or instructions.
Interview with Don DeLillo:
Did you read the script?
Yes I did, and it was incredibly close to the book. Of course, Cronenberg cut out a few scenes that couldn’t work out, but it is totally faithful to the spirit of the novel. Of course, I had no intention to make comments when I read it, it had become a Cronenberg film. It is my novel, but it is his film, there is no question about it. Then, last March, I saw the film in New York once it was completed. I was really impressed. It is as uncompromising as it can possibly be. I liked it from the very beginning, from the opening credits: what an amazing idea to start with Jackson Pollock, and to finish with Rothko, for that matter. And the final scene, with Robert Pattinson and Paul Giamatti, is just mind-blowing!
How did you react when you heard that David Cronenberg was to adapt your novel?
I was delighted. I missed a few of his earliest films, but at least since Dead Ringers, I have seen them all. I am particularly fond of Crash and ExistenZ, and of course A History of Violence. At first I wondered if it was the kind of material he usually worked with. I didn’t think so, but I thought it could be a good thing, an opportunity for him to tackle the subject in an original way. Anyway I was sure he could make the content of the book visually stunning, in a way that would surprise everybody, including myself. I had no idea what he was up to, but I knew it wouldn’t be conventional.
Had you seen his version of Naked Lunch?
Yes, that’s impressive! Exactly the kind of surprise I was hoping for regarding Cosmopolis.
Was it when you met with David Cronenberg?
Yes, he was in Estoril as well. But we didn’t talk much about the project to adapt the book, I wanted to keep out of it. We talked a bit about the fact that it would be shot mainly in Toronto, I could see that he knew what he was doing, and it was fine by me. We probably talked about the leading actor, but this person finally couldn’t make it. Later on, when Paulo told me about Robert Pattinson, I thought that at last, my fourteen year-old niece would look up to me.
What was your reaction when you first saw the film? Did you find new elements that weren’t in the book?
I was thrilled. There are also very funny moments, and I was really impressed by the whole ending, it takes the film to another level. What happens between Eric Packer and Benno Levin, the character played by Paul Giamatti, is marked by their mutual respect, something that was in the book but which is more palpable in the film. Indeed, David made the right decision in cutting two interventions by Benno Levin before they meet. Those two inserted chapters fitted the novel, not the film.
The dialogues are almost all yours. How does it feel to hear them?
It is the strangest thing! These are my words, but they take on another life. I wrote this conversation about art that Eric and the character played by Juliette Binoche have, but somehow it felt like I was discovering it, or even understanding it for the first time.
SourceThank you to Robert Pattinson Mom’s for the tip!Read the entire translations at Cosmopolis Film or CLICK HERE to read the entirety of all three interviews via Robsteners!
This year, La Croisette welcomes young stars who are more often on the bedroom walls of teenage girls than in films that compete for the Palme.
Twilight stars in competition at Cannes? Until now a strange idea which has however now come true…
Without doubt the most anticipated at the moment is Robert Pattinson , teen icon inevitably associated with the role of chivalrous vampire in Twilight, taking the lead role in one of the most exciting and anticipated movies on the Croisette: David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis.
Pattinson was surprised to be contacted for this film, as he explains to Premiere: “When David arrived from nowhere to offer me Cosmopolis, I bombarded with questions. I really wanted to know what he saw in me, ” says the 25 year old actor.
What did he see in him? His potential. David Cronenberg helped Pattinson to prove he was not just a pretty face, like other filmmakers before him have done for others: “With Cosmopolis , I was proud to be able to give Rob a chance to prove the extent of his talent. If he does well, I see no problem making a career comparable to those of Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt. Even better.” he said to Premiere.
So for RPatz the question is : Will Cannes 2012 (enable Rob to) finally draw a line under Edward Cullen and his horde of groupies to become, finally, an actor.
Source
LE FIGARO – Your film on the Road from Walter Salles is in competition at Cannes. And Robert Pattinson’s film Cosmopolis by David Cronenberg is too. Is there competition between you or is it more of a game?
KRISTEN STEWART – (laughs) There’s no problem between us! And we do think of it as a game. It’s so incredible, unthinkable, crazy ending up in competition the same year in Cannes, as we have just finished Twilight ! It’s strange …
LE FIGARO – Fate?
KRISTEN STEWART -(Laughs). I do not know. Maybe …
Source
Thank you to @3cheers4tyranny for the pictures!
Google Translate:
There were many professionals to consider difficult, if not impossible, a film adaptation of one case of novels written by award-winning American novelist Don DeLillo, especially the fragmentary and sematicamente avant-garde of his narrative, which can be really very impenetrable to a first reading, since it moves with a complicated series of interlocking games.
Was clearly not impossible, given that the author, now at 76 years of age, he could finally see one of his most significant books interpreted by what is in effect a great director, just as bizarre and disturbing the David Conenberg.
The novel was chosen and Cosmopolis tells the story of a young millionaire dealing with a crazy 24 hours for ingiro Manhattan, on board of his limousine. It all starts with the simple intention to travel from your trusted barber, but his career soon take care odyssey characters in a world that appears increasingly unable to have any value limit.
Cosmopolis is a real movie event of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, as well as among the favorites to win. Italian hits theaters next Friday, May 25. It will attract not only the connoisseurs of DeLillo’s work, but also passionate fans of Cronenberg and Robert Pattinson, facing a very challenging title role, probably the first really important, from an artistic, of his career. The cast also appear Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric.
Thank you Cosmopolis Italy for the tip!
@ELLEUK
Robert Pattinson just arrived at On The Road party hosted by Diesel #Cannes2012
@annasmithjourno:
Just saw R-Patz, toothpick in mouth, at On the Road party in#Cannes2012
@@Mehdi_R:
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart will be partying at the Baron tonight #cannes2012â
@MagicCannes:
Kristen Stewart en compagnie de Robert Pattinson, Kirsten Dunst, Vigo Mortensen, Walter Salles en after au Magic Garden Meets le Baron!
@LaineyGossip:
2:30am here in Cannes @ On The Road party. K Stewart& R Pattinson just ordered 8 more bottles of champagne for the table. Very celebratory.
@Dinna178
Just met Robert Pattinson…No BIG deal….*fainting*
@_mio
rob pattinson + kristen stewart having so much fun at le baron’s【on the road】party. he’s telling jokes + she’s giggling… #cannes
rob’s gotta be up early for press tomorrow but tonight’s all about his girl. they just hugged after a big champagne toast~ #cannes
@MattDentler
Two parties tonight that featured a celebrity couple as the main event: 1. Kanye & Kim, then 2. Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart. #Cannes
Robert Pattinson is in Cannes, France this week for the premiere of his film “Cosmopolis” on Friday, but that didn’t stop him for showing support for his lady Kristen Stewart and longtime pal Tom Sturridge at the premiere of their film “On The Road”!
The 26-year-old devilishly handsome actor hit the red carpet tonight at the Palais des Festivals to swarms of flashing bulbs from all the photographers who wanted to snap a shot of him. Rob was smart to bring along his trusty Oliver Peoples “Gregory Peck” sunglasses. He scored these shades in a brand new color from the brand!
As for his premiere wardrobe, Rob was clad in a stylish Dior Homme black single-button, slim peak lapel tuxedo with a white cotton shirt and black satin tie. Oh, my.
So, his first trip out and he’s in black. I’m not surprised, nor am I disappointed. I still have hope in seeing him in some color on the press tour for his movie!
With that said, it was so nice to see his golden tresses growing back in their beloved unruly glory.
Rob finished off the look with a pair of black patent leather derbies, also Dior Homme.
Source
On his way to the premiere of his girlfriend Kristen Stewart‘s film On the Road, Robert Pattinson tripped and almost falls in to a boat as he leaves Eden Roc Restaurant. Luckily though, Rob didn’t plummet in to the boat, or water for that matter.
Those hoping to see Rob and Kirsten on the red carpet together were left disappointed. The pair turned up at different times for the screening, with Robert showing up a full half hour before Kristen took to the red carpet.
Source
Interview with a vampire
Robert Pattinson grew fangs after the Twilight saga. He’s bringing them out to portray a greedy golden boy for Cronenberg. Charming and honest, he welcomed us in Los Angeles. By Jacky Goldberg.
The interview took place on the last floor of the Soho House that overlooks Sunset Strip. It was on the patio of the private club where cameras and telephones were forbidden. He was without his press agent. He wore a three days beard, a cap, brown chino cloth pants, and a plaid shirt.
The interview lasted one hour.
You live in LA now?
RP: Yes, for a little while now. At first I didn’t know what to do there and now when I’m far away I miss it. Even more than London where I grew up but that all my friends left. My family still lives there but they want to come here, same for my friends. It’s crazy, all you need is to spend a day in LA to want to move in. *laughs*
The movie breaks away from your image of the proper young man molded by Twilight and the few films that you filmed since then. Did you realise that as you were filming?
RP: Of course. I’m scared of being typecast *he thinks for a moment* … like most actors who starts for that matter: it’s important to branch out very early on. That’s the whole point. In fact, I got offered the lead in Cosmopolis on my last day of filming Breaking Dawn. Right at the moment when I thought I was scared of repeating myself and bam! Cronenberg is calling me! It’s better than anything I could ever dream of. Now I’m curious to see how the movie is received.
On the contrary, restrict yourself to only independent movies and not doing blockbusters anymore, doesn’t that scare you?
RP: Honestly, if I could only play movies like Cosmopolis, it would be amazing. But they’re hard to get. To tell you the truth, I’m not really interested by being at the head of big movies. First, it’s harder to do: you have 20 people to answer to – in Cosmopolis: just one.
Then, in general, there’s one two possible roles in those movies: you’re either a teenager who becomes a man, or a teenager who’s completely screwed up. when you’re barely twenty, it’s okay, you’re having fun, you discover an incredible world, girls worship you. But it can’t last forever.
What did David Cronenberg tell you when he called you?
RP: My agent sent me the script over a year ago but at that time it was Colin Farrell who was attached to the project. I told myself: “Fuuuuuuck, this script rocks! Why can’t I be offered something like that? And why do you send me the script if the role is already taken *laughs*?” And one year later, out of nowhere, David calls me: “Hey do you want to do this movie?” I was terrified! The script looked so complex to me. A year before I was dreaming of it and then I felt unable to make a decision. It took me one week to find the courage to call David back.
Did he explain to you why he chose you?
RP: No, never. he didn’t even make me audition. When I asked him about it, he told me he had a feeling … when I told him that I wasn’t sure what the movie was about, he replied: “Me neither, we’re going to find out together.” This is why I’m really curious to see people’s reaction, even more so than usual.
Were you familiar with David’s work before?
RP: Yes, I saw almost all his movies.
Read full article »
Robert Pattinson made his 2012 Cannes Film Festival debut on the red carpet for the premiere of girlfriend Kristen Stewart’s On the Road today. He has his own project, Cosmopolis, to promote at the glamorous festival, but it looks like he’s showing support for Kristen’s work first. She was up early with her costars Kirsten Dunst, Garrett Hedlund, and Tom Sturridge for a photo call this morning after many of them arrived in the South of France last night. Kristen and Rob are just a few of the glamorous couples at Cannes, including Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson and Salma Hayek and her husband, Francois-Henri Pinault.
Source
The exciting news: Rob Pattinson attended girlfriend’s Kristen Stewart’s Cannes premiere of On the Road.
On the downside, the super-lowkey couple continued to keep it very much on the downlow. Pattinson walked the red carpet solo, a full half-hour before Stewart arrived.
What’s French for “bummer”?
Pattinson arrived so early for the red carpet that the Cannes television station which broadcasts the gala events was not even airing it. Producers scrambled to get shots of Pattinson walking past, hastily cutting into their festival coverage to show him.
He did not give a television interview.
The stubbled Pattinson spent 15 minutes on the carpet for photographers, ensuring maximum publicity for the film — which opens in French cinemas today. He was greeted by the festival director Thierry Fremaux, then took his seat inside the theater.
Stewart arrived with her Road co-star Garret Hedlund in a vintage car. There was a moment of levity as the tuxedo-wearing valet could not work the car’s handle to open it, leaving Stewart stuck in the car as the crowd screamed for her.
She then walked the red carpet with her co-stars. Even inside the theater, Pattinson and Stewart did not openly recognize each other, and took seats in different rows.
It could have been a big moment for a festival looking for a new King and Queen. Last night’s premiere of Killing Them Softly featured mega-star Brad Pitt, but no Angelina Jolie (Pitt said she’s about to work on another project).
Pattinson and Stewart have competing movies in the festival, Pattinson’s Cosmopolis premieres on Friday night, leaving the opportunity for the two stars to walk down the carpet together. But it’s not looking likely.
Source
Robert Pattinson as heartthrob and fan favorite Finnick Odair in “Hunger Games” sequel “Catching Fire”? Probably not even a little, but that’s the rumor making the rounds on Wednesday.
The report comes courtesy of the blog Think McFly Think, which claims that Lionsgate — the studio behind “The Hunger Games” — is “chasing” Pattinson for the key “Catching Fire” role.
While it might seem totally ridiculous that Pattinson — finally free from his obligations to the uber-popular “Twilight” franchise and tackling films like David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” — would join Team Hunger Games, he does have one connection to the world of Panem: “Catching Fire” will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who worked with the star on “Water For Elephants.” (Lawrence replaced Gary Ross as shepherd of the franchise earlier this year.)
“As with the first film, we won’t be confirming, denying or commenting any casting rumors for this title,” Lionsgate told HuffPost Entertainment in a statement. “We will announce news wide when there is official casting news to announce.”
Finnick, who first appears in “Catching Fire,” plays a key role in Suzanne Collins’ best-selling “Hunger Games” trilogy. From District 4, he was the winner of the 65th annual Hunger Games and forms a friendly relationship with Katniss Everdeen following her victory at the 74th iteration of the Games.
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, “Catching Fire” will arrive in theaters on Nov. 22, 2013. The film will begin shooting this summer.
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THE ROVER
COSMOPOLIS
BEL AMI
THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN (PART ONE)
