Lewis G. Wilson, Robert Lowery, Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck. They are all names of actors who have put on the cape and mask with pointed ears to become the ‘knight of the night’. With the premiere of “The Batman” they were joined by another name, that of Robert Pattinson, an actor who became known worldwide for playing the eternally adolescent vampire Edward Cullen, but who is now a bat man.
It was this strong identification with the protagonist of “Twilight” that served as both a blessing and a curse for the actor’s career. Although he popularized his name to all corners of the planet, it also led him to an almost fatal typecasting of his career, which he had to fight for years by joining more independent films, only gradually flirting towards blockbuster films like “Tenet”. ” (2020) in recent years.
But proving it’s not that easy to let go of your past, even his choice to play Batman was contentious, and there was visible opposition to this decision when it was announced in May 2019. Fortunately for Pattinson, director Matt Reeves stood his ground. in his position and now “The Batman”, available now on the HBO Max streaming platform, is one of the most acclaimed DC Comics movies of recent years.
In defense of the interpreter, he has left some memorable interpretations throughout his career that deserve that we at least keep an open mind. Here we list some of the last decade.
1. ERIC PARKER – “Cosmopolis” (2012)
Shortly before the release of the latest “Twilight” film, Pattinson collaborated with acclaimed director David Cronenberg (“The Fly,” “Crash”) to make “Cosmopolis.” In the film, the actor plays Eric Parker, a privileged Wall Street financier, who during a limousine ride sees his life quickly disintegrate.
2. REYNOLD – “The Rover” (2014)
Pattinson also participates in this Australian post-apocalyptic drama in his first collaboration with director David Michôd (later “The King” would come). In this film the actor plays Reynolds, a bandit who collaborates with the protagonist Eric (Guy Pearce) in revenge against the criminals who stole his car (and in the case of Reynolds they left him abandoned).
3. JEROME FONTANA – “Map to the Stars” (2014)
In his second collaboration with Cronenberg, Pattinson takes on a more humble role as Jerome Fontana, a limousine driver and aspiring screenwriter who becomes tangentially drawn into the dark secrets of the other characters.
4. DENNIS STOCK – “Life” (2015)
Pattinson returns to a leading role in Anton Corbijn’s “Life” (“Control,” “A Most Wanted Man”) in which he plays photographer Dennis Stock, who is assigned the job of taking pictures of rising movie legend James Dean (Dane DeHaan).
Of his role in this film, Alison Rowat of The Herald writes, “The pleasant surprise here is Pattinson, who takes on the character of Stock and shows all of his angles, even the least appealing ones, to the camera.”
5. CONSTANTINE NIKAS – “Good Time” (2017)
Possibly his best film to date. Directed by brothers Benny and Josh Safdie (“Uncut Gems”), Pattinson stars as Constantine Nikas, a criminal who, after a failed attempt to rob a bank, desperately tries to scrape together the money to get his younger brother out of jail.
Pattinson’s portrayal of Connie as an antihero was praised by critics. “Robert Pattinson stars in one of his most important films and confirms his status as an actor capable of moving away from the damned cliché he came from,” writes Federico Furzan of Cinelipsis.
6. THOMAS HOWARD – “The Lighthouse” (2019)
Roger Eggers (“The Witch”) brings us a fascinating story of two men who have to live together for a month in a remote New England lighthouse in a story full of tension filmed in black and white format. Pattinson’s achievement is facing up to and succeeding in the challenge of acting opposite William Dafoe in one of the best performances of both actors’ careers.
Best said by Allison Rose of FlickDirect: “Pattinson and Dafoe are evenly matched and give incredible performances. They interact with each other like dueling pianos in search of dominance.”
7. PRESTON TEAGARDEN – “The Devil All the Time”
Although it was lukewarmly received by critics, the almost unanimous opinion is that the film directed by Antonio Campos had a top-notch cast, with actors like Tom Holland, Eliza Scanlan and Sebastian Stan. At the center of it all was Pattinson, who played his most vile character to date in pedophile priest Preston Teagardin.
The British actor’s chameleon-like ability to present a southern United States accent – even after refusing the help of a dialect coach – and his ability to portray an immoral and charismatic character make this one of his best roles in the last years.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In addition to the aforementioned roles, other films in which Pattinson showed his acting skills were his role as Cedric Diggory in the “Harry Potter” saga; in the film “The Childhood of a Leader” (2015), where he played the eponymous ‘leader’; “The Lost City of Z” (2016) where he played the explorer Henry Costin; “Damsel” (2018), where he is the affluent pioneer Samuel Alabaster and “The King” (2019), where he plays the antagonist Dauphin of France.
