The Film Stage posted an article recommending books on film making. It caught my eye because it mentioned David Cronenberg, but interestingly enough it was Tim Grierson who mentioned Rob. This is what he had to say about Rob’s performance in Good Time:
The style of critic Tim Grierson’s This Is How You Make a Movie is simple but startlingly effective. Over nearly 200 pages, Grierson devotes a page each to a film that showcases a different style of acting, directing, editing, writing, and lighting and camera technique. One example is the Safdies’ Good Time, which Grierson slots under the acting heading—in this case, “Motivation,†and “Finding the core of an unlovable character.†“On paper,†Grierson writes of Robert Pattinson’s Connie, “this is a character who would be hard to root for. And yet, Pattinson makes him compelling. No one would describe Connie as ‘lovable,’ but the actor burrows inside him in such a way that this small-time hood has an internal logic that makes sense.â€
Turning the calendar page to March.
#Robert
Posted on April 29, 2021
The task of making an unlovable character lovable is a difficult one. Rob made it look easy with his portrayal of Connie. Deserved way more attention than he got at the time, although it’s been great to read so many critics and cinephiles appreciate both Good Time (as a movie) and Rob’s amazing portrayal of Connie, over the last few years.
Posted on April 30, 2021
Maybe I am biased because I never felt drawn to another actor before and never did find much about them, (people are like what about Tom Hanks? What about him? He has a boring face and boring repertoire. Pitt, Clooney, or Di Caprio, meh, not intellectual enough). But can you imagine anyone else generating the kind of attention to his oddball projects like RP did/does? Case in point, whoever heard of The Witch before but everyone seems to know about The Lighthouse now. RP may not have brought his cult following to his projects (well, they didn’t even follow him to WFE), but he certainly brought the projects the attention they needed.
In Good Time, the overwhelming feeling as a viewer is frustration that Connie is not succeeding and we forget that what he has done is wrong. It is like Maigret where he makes you feel sympathy for the murderer, not easy to do.
Posted on April 30, 2021
I have to admit PM that I had watched The Witch but I never understood the hype of it. You are correct about Rob bringing the projects the attention they needed. As for Connie – I’m still rooting for him lol.
Posted on April 30, 2021
Lol, right, I was rooting for him too to somehow raise the bail money and get his brother out and the frustration is from him not succeeding. In rooting for him to succeed we forget that he did wrong. It is to Rob’s credit that he makes us forget that he is a petty criminal but focus on his limited understanding (~internal logic) that his brother won’t survive jail. well, that is the beauty of these movies, right? there are a million ways to feel and understand what is going on. Nothing is spoon fed.
That way High Life for me really was epic, raising ethical/ philosophical questions about society and social mores and why or how would they be even applicable up there.
Posted on April 30, 2021
This is why I love Rob – his choice of films always educates to some extent. I too had never followed an actor like this before. I’ve always had favourites, but never to the extent where I anticipate every film and information about his career. Rob is like Edward in that he draws you in. Which is probably why his casting in that role was so successful.