Wait… James GRAY?! Coincidence?

And now, two years later, they are featuring our boy again. And mon dieu did they do a great job!!

See? This, THIS is the hairlength I like when it’s all about short hair! This is enough! 

Sadly, I am not allowed to post pictures of what’s inside on here (even though I’d love to; I bought the pdf version of the mag yesterday) but lemme say that those pictures are def haaawt! Can you say: Not one but TWO Robs lying on a bed, only covered by sheets? RED sheets? Yeah… *thud*

Good thing that there is one picture I can share with you all and it’s the cutest thing I’ve seen in quite a while. Lucky woman!

OMG LOOK AT HIM! Awwwwwwww!

How one man can manage to make you go “OMG I WANNA PHUCK YOU” and “OMG YOU’RE SO CUTE!” at the same time will forever be Rob’s secret.

Rob, you’re the nicest thing I’ve seen*,

*this is sort of a quote from Kate Nash’s song “Nicest thing” that I might be listening to right now while eating some Ben and Jerries and crying*

The Twilight hunk, 25, overcame his confidence issues behind the camera while shooting the surreal Cosmopolis with cult director David Cronenberg.

R-Patz plays billionaire banker Eric Packer, who cruises New York in a limo to get a haircut but finds his life unravel. Along the way, the British star gets into a threesome with himself and appears gutted draped over a couch.

‘Filming Cosmopolis with David changed something in me,’ he said, ‘It gave me balls.

‘I have five projects lined up right now that follow the path that movie opened for me.

‘Before, I spent my time doubting myself. As soon as I read a script I liked, I was working myself up, asking myself if I was good enough. Now, I tell myself: “F*** it! If they want to hire you, go!”’

Translation

New York is on war footing. The President of the USA is passing through and demonstrations are threating to drown Manhattan in chaos. Eric Packer, 28 years old millionaire, doesn’t care. No matter what happens, he will go get his haircut on the other side of town.

We’re not going to lie, whether we like David Cronenberg’s recent movies, we were seriously missing the filmmaker of Videodrome and Crash. Pop open the champagne because he’s back in every shot of Cosmopolis. Even though he’s adapting someone else’s work, the Canadian filmmaker recognized his young/offsprings in the novel of DeLillo. The absurd and persistent odyssey of a young wolf in finance who parades colleagues, mistresses and doctors in his high-tech limo. When he reaches his destination, he might be left with nothing (the Japanese currency threatens his wallet, his wife is more and distant, it’s getting unbearable.) but the answer of the question that haunts him, without being able to articulate it: Can the one who possesses everything still desire anything else?

Cronenberg made sure that all his obsessions punctuate his route, whether they are intellectual (the search for ‘another’ reality) or carnal/physical (another scene that will make people talk, Packer learns that his prostate asymmetrical). Enthroned in the back seat of his limousine Robert Pattinson reveals a deepness that gets more & more fascinating as his character gets closer to hitting rock bottom/gets closer to the abyss. The fear that surrenders his face in the last moments doesn’t belong only to this anti-hero that arrived at the point of no return, but it’s also the fear of an actor who tests his limits with an unsuspected bravery. With a feverish and decadent ride in Hell, Cosmopolis proves that he’s not done testing them.

Premiere also has a fantastic interview with Robert Pattinson and a Cronenberg-inspired photoshoot which you can see HERE.

via via

The interview is in French, so while we wait for a good translation, please enjoy some great quotes pulled from the article. Thanks to Robsessed and Lena for the quotes.

They are saying he arrived to the interview with a heavy beard. But it’s not for paps, it’s for a new movie about a group of rock “the band”

He’s saying he watched the first cut (of “Cosmopolis”) alone when there was no music and he was a little perplexed. But he watch the final cut with other ppl And there weren’t laughing at all. They were really into it.

He’s saying Cosmopolis is really Cronenberg’s movie. “It’s HIS movie”
Most directors hold your hand and they tell “I’ll help you go there and there…” but David goes “OK! We’re done! next!”

He did the interview a few days before the reshoots for BD
“Shooting Cosmopolis with Cronenberg changed something in me. Now I have more balls”

“The first day of shooting, I wasn’t the most confident. While we were getting ready for the first scene, Sarah Gadon asked me “So. How did you prepare for the role?” I lost it & left the limo feeling really angry and I screamed: “Why are you judging me like that? Are you testingme or something?” (Laughing)

Rob told David he was scared of ruining his movie. “I’m in a phase where I’m trying to determine what I can to do as an actor”

Talking about reshoots I: Did you think Twilight was behind you? Rob: Yes. I’m not the same person I was at the beginning of the saga”I’m older, When I think about the make up, I’m seeing those wrinkles on my face. It’s really freaking me out”"I got fatter as well. As I didn’t have any clothes when I started the first movie.I stole some from the production when the movie was done”"Now I can’t get in those clothes anymore.”

[Talking about Cannes 2009 & how fans were freaking out outside his restaurant] This year, they won’t even even bat an eyelash. They’ll say “I don’t give a fuck. He’s not in The Hunger Games!” (laughing)

Interviewer: It seems like the Twilight cast has a date at Cannes considering Kristen Stewart is going for OTR. The festival will look like a graduation ceremony. “Rob: I’m really excited to go. Shooting Cosmopolis w/ Cronenberg changed something in me. It gave me balls (laughing)

“I have 5 projects lined up right now. Before, I used to doubt all the time. I was beginning to get annoyed with myself. When i was reading a script that I liked, I was annoying myself. I was asking myself if I could do it & if I had the talent. “Now I only tell myself: ‘Fuck it! If they’re ready to hire you, go for it!”

Interviewer: You haven’t shot a thing since Cosmopolis. Were you waiting for more offers because of the movie?
Rob: In a way.. yes. I have to say that shooting BD took me a good part of the year. It lasted till the end of the year & there’s not a lot of movies shot in the winter. I started freaking out three months ago but it’s RIGHT at that moment that all these projects came if everything goes as it should. I should start shooting this fall.”

Interviewer saying it feels like Rob’s views changed as an actor since the last time he interviews him two year years ago. Now he knows what he wants to do.”Rob: I’ve always wanted to make good films. But before, I was more the type of guy who would get drunk & say “If people don’t like me, they can go fuck themselves!” (laughing) Nowadays it’s different. I want the people that I respect to respect me too. It seems normal, when you say it like that, but you sometimes need time before you understand that gaining the respect of others is what’s the most important”

“Whining about it won’t help. When David asked me to be in Cosmopolis, I asked him tons of Qs. I wanted to know which movies he had seen me in. What he thought about me. But he wasn’t able to tell me anything.”

FULL Translation of the interview After The Cut!

Thanks to Lena via RobsessedBlog

It’s 1:30pm in the hall of Soho House, a very private & select club on Sunset Boulevard, in Los Angeles. Members Only… If the hostess is letting us go upstairs with a smile, it’s because we said the magic words: “We have a meeting with Robert Pattinson at 2pm”.

Surprise.: the actor arrives at the same time, 30 minutes earlier than expected… and wearing a heavy beard, that he did not let grow because of the paps but to prepare for his future role in the movie about the rock band “The Band”. We’re here today to talk about Cosmopolis, the adaption of the novel by Don DeLillo by David Cronenberg, electric shock that is programmed to be at the 2012 Cannes Festival.

The Canadian Director surprised everyone when he gave the role of Eric Packer to the Twilight star.
This 28 year old yuppie new-yorker who decides to go across town in his limousine to get a hair cut, while demonstrations are turning the town into chaos & that threats are putting the life of that billionaire in danger. A ride to hell that will change him forever. The ‘him’ here, could be used to described Pattinson, which gives here a stunning performance and that happens at a perfect time. Mid-november, when the last chapter of the Twilight saga will come out in theaters, the teen idol could disappear to be replaced by the major actor revealed by Cosmopolis. The metamorphosis is starting now.

PREMIERE: Rob, the last time we met, you had just finished shooting Cosmopolis & you told me: “I didn’t understand a thing about what we were doing. And when I was asking David what it was about, he told me:” I don’t know, we don’t care about that!” But, seeing the film, I found it extremely clear.

ROB: During the first screening, I was alone in the room & when I came out, I was really perplexed. At that moment, the music wasn’t yet included in the movie. I saw it again with other people & they were very quick to react. They wouldn’t stop laughing. I told myself: ‘Oh.. But it works in the end” (laughing)
I can’t wait to see how the public is going to react to it. It’s the first time that I can watch a movie that I made as a “Movie”, maybe because Cosmopolis belongs entirely to David Cronenberg. It’s really “His” movie.

PREMIERE: Frankly, it’s yours as well.

ROB: It’s still pure Cronenberg, no doubt about that. Most of directors take your hand. They tell you “I will help you reach that or you need to..”. David shoots a scene and he’s like. “Okay, it’s done. Next!” He’s very sensible to the actors’ performances though. He won’t give you a lot of indications, but he is devilishly precise. He doesn’t miss a thing. If you lose your concentration for only a second, he notices it instantly. It’s almost destabilizing to work with someone like that. During the wrap party, I asked him if he had seen some scenes, he answered me that he had just watched the entire movie. He had already put together everything! As I was really curious, I told him: ‘So, do you know what it is about now? -Not at all. But, it’s good. It’s funny.”
Then he quoted Fellini, telling me a movie is dead once there’s no more interrogation about it. On set, David was delighted with the omnipresent confusion that everyone was feeling, including the actors, more experienced, like Paul Giamatti.

PREMIERE: The director is always supposed to be ahead of everyone else.

ROB: And to not be afraid of anything as well. I had never worked with any director that possessed that much confidence in his capacities. If he didn’t know how to shot a scene, he would do something else. He knew the script by heart so he could allow himself to do such things. It was really stressful at first, but considering I am in every scene, I knew the whole script by heart as well, just like a play.

PREMIERE: Is it good for an actor to be scared or not?

ROB: The first day of shooting, I really wasn’t trying to be clever. While we were waiting to shoot the first scene, Sarah Gadon (Who plays his wife) asked me: ‘So, how did you prepare for the role?” I lost it completely & I left the limousine, really angry while screaming: “Why are you judging me like that? Are you trying to test me or what?” (laughing)

PREMIERE: Cronenberg told us you were scared you were going to ruin his movie…

ROB: I’m in a phase where I’m trying to determine what I can do as an actor. It’s even more complex to arrive with a certain passivity, but people like David don’t care about that stuff.

PREMIERE: I advised him to watch the fourth Twilight, which is quite like ‘Cronenberg’ sometimes…

ROB: I still find that difficult to believe there are still one to come. (Breaking Dawn, Part 2, Out on November 14th). In fact, I’m supposed to shoot more scenes for it in a few days.

PREMIERE: Did you think Twilight was behind you?

ROB: Yes. I’m really different from who I was at the beginning of the saga. I got older… When I’m going in the make up trailer, I can see all these wrinkles that appeared since then. It’s really frightening. I got fatter as well. As I didn’t have any clothes when I started the first movie, I stole a few from the production at the end of the movie. I can’t even get in them anymore!

PREMIERE: During you first visit at Cannes, in 2009, you had provoked a riot next to a beach, where 700 fans were waiting for you. Bodyguards had to lift you off the ground to take you out of that place…

ROB: That year, they’ll all ignore me telling themselves “We don’t care about him, he’s not in the Hunger Games!.” (laughing)

PREMIERE: By the way, it looks like the Twilight cast has a date on the croisette considering Kristen Stewart will be there as well with “On The Road”. The Festival is looking like a graduation ceremony.

ROB: I’m really glad to go. Shooting Cosmopolis with Cronenberg changed something in my. It gave me balls (laughing) I have five projects lined up right now? Before, I used to doubt all the time. When I was reading a script, I would annoy myself, wondering if I was worth the role or if I could do it. Now, I tell myself: “Fuck it! If they’re ready to hire me, go for it.”

PREMIERE: You haven’t shot any movie since Cosmopolis, as if you were waiting for more offers that the movie would bring you. Is that the case, here?

ROB: More or less. Breaking Dawn had me busy till the end of the year & there are not a lot of movies shot in the winter. I started panicking three months ago, but that’s when all those projects started to come. If everything goes well, I will start shooting in the fall.

PREMIERE: Two years ago, you seemed surprised that some people would hire you for certain movies & you said that you would still act as long as you would have that opportunity. I feel like the way you think about acting has changed. Now you know where you want to go.

ROB: I’ve always wanted to make good movies. But before, I was more the type to get drunk & say: “If people don’t like me, they can go fuck themselves!” (laughing) It’s different nowadays : I want the people that I respect to respect me as well. It seems easy when you say it like that, but sometimes, you need time to understand that having the respect of others is what is the most important. And whining about it won’t make you succeed. When David came out of nowhere to ask me to be a part of Cosmopolis, I asked him tons of questions. I wanted to know absolutely what he has seen in me, what he thought about me… But he couldn’t answer me.

PREMIERE: The Cosmopolis teaser had the effect of a bomb on the internet…

ROB: I’ve been doing movie for 8 years & I’ve been criticized often & all of a sudden, this teaser is released & everyone is excited. “It looks great! His acting is good in it!” It’s ridiculous! It’s what makes you understand how the critical mind of some people work.

PREMIERE: Most of the critics said you sucked without having seen you in any movies. And you were good in Twilight!

ROB: In some scenes maybe… I tried anyway.. I’d like to ask a question to those people who think I just started acting well: What do you think I was doing in twilight? Do they think it’s how I act naturally? No, I had to take decisions as an actor. I find it funny when I read stuff like (He uses a dramatic voice) “Will Cosmopolis finally prove that he can act?” What does that even mean?

PREMIERE: Before he was discovered by Burton & Fincher, Johnny Depp & Brad Pitt were more or less known as ‘pretty faces’. I feel like the same thing is happening to you with Cosmopolis.

ROB: The good news is that the way the industry perceives actor is changing, even if Brad Pitt is to me, one of the most unfairly underestimated actor in the world. It’s not said enough but he never delivered a bad performance. Nowadays, no one wants to make drama for adults because people say no one is going to see them. No one. Except Brad Pitt. It’s how you make a career last. We still see those kind of movies in the world of independent movies, but those dramas, held by stars have almost disappeared. It must be because those stars lost their part of mystery. How do you want to play roles like that if people know everyone about you & your life?

PREMIERE: Before, talented actors were turning into big stars. Nowadays, we become a star before we’ve had time to prove that we’re a talented actor.

ROB: Celebrity is one of the only thing that we can access without having any qualification. And when you dare to say something negative about fame in the media, you’re sure that you’re going to get a lot of crap. People don’t want to hear about that at all. It’s not jealousy, it’s just that they don’t want you to shatter their dreams.

PREMIERE: You have to maintain the illusion, no matter the price…

ROB: The paradox is that they want to maintain it & shatter it at the same time by accumulating as many things as possible about your private life.

PREMIERE: Am I wrong or it seems like you’re going to favour ambitious projects, without giving up to the Hollywood sirens?

ROB: It’s almost more dangerous to try the Hollywood adventure, in fact. Recently, I read the script for a big movie worth 80 million dollars that I liked a lot. it was the first time a studio was sending me a script that I liked and I was really excited. I was telling myself: “This is it, I finally have that cool blockbuster that i was looking for!” But when I went to the meeting, I was told that I was too marked by Twilight & that it wouldn’t be possible. I was disappointed. Then I read the script again & realized that, in the end, it wasn’t that good. (laughing)

PREMIERE: It’s like destiny was trying to tell you something…

ROB: Possible. It’s said often that you need to alternate the projects that you do for yourself & the ones you do for the studios. But I don’t believe that. If you shoot a shitty film.. well, you just made a shitty film. The money it will make at the box office won’t change a thing about that. And success is never a sure thing: look at “wrath of the titans” which just failed at the B.O…

PREMIERE: Have you ever tried to accept a role for money?

ROB: Yes. But something always happened at the last minute & it ended up not happening. Of course, I’ve done five Twilight, but I never did that for the money, even if I would have found that really unfair to let that money go to somebody else. (laughing). I learned one thing & that is that everything that makes you win money is never “free”. I feel like, the more money you gain, the more problems you have on the side. Like.. to barricade your house for example. When someone tells me: “But it’s just a movie!”, I want to tell them: “Yes, but you can pay it for the rest of my life!”

PREMIERE: It’s hard to get your soul back once you’ve sold it.

ROB: Especially in Hollywood, where everyone is judging you. I’ve always admired Nicolas Cage, who always did whatever he wanted with his career without caring about what others thought about it. And after 15 years, they finally realized that he was a genius. He’s not only one of the most fascinating actors in the world, but he’s also a real artist.

PREMIERE: The hostility that Twilight received might have made you used to not live your life according to how people perceive you..

ROB: When you suddenly become known, you have no control over what people think of you anyway. You need to learn how to fight the storm, especially when you understand that you’re just a pawn within an enormous machine.

ROB: When you’re doing interviews, one after the other, to promote a movie but no one asks you about your work, you end wondering if you’re even an actor. I often ended up in front of people who had probably never seen any Twilight & only wanted to know what it was like to be a celebrity.. “People recognize you in the street, they take your picture all the time & it’s really weird, Here you go..”
While I’m talking about that, something happening to me at the beach not long ago. I was trying to learn how to surf – So I looked like an idiot, you can’t even imagine -, when I thought I had seen paps, trying to hide behind rocks. When I got the confirmation, my body acted on impulse & I ran in their direction. But in the middle of my run, I started asking myself what I would do once I was in front of those guys. I wasn’t afraid of being beaten up, what you would be scared of in those kind of situations, but I was scared of ending up in court if I hit one of them. Fortunately, Those paps were such cowards that they left immediately. I have no idea what would have happened if they had not left.

PREMIERE: The good news is that the hysteria will be over soon… (Kate: you think? {giggles} *Shakes head*)

ROB: I’m going to be 26 & I can tell you that it’s starting to freak me out that I’m appealing to girls that are 13 yo. I’m often wondering how things will change now.

PREMIERE: Things will change starting this months, when the public will discover Cosmopolis.

ROB: I’ve always felt like people judged the performance of actors as if we were in American Idol. That we need to cry or scream really loudly for people to find you good. That way, I’m trying not to delude myself.

PREMIERE: I’m surprised that you’re still able to keep your head on your shoulder. Have you ever found yourself acting like a star/diva?

ROB: It might have been different if people kept telling me I was a genius all day long, but that’s not the case.
At the beginning, I tried to break through as a model, without being offered a single job. When you’ve done more than 2, 000 castings & the guy in front of you doesn’t even look at you once in the eyes, looking at your pictures one after the other while saying “No, no..” in a disgusted tone, you end up being immune to a lot of things.

Scans via source

The h00rs who belong to that group and don’t want to be spoiled, STOP READING NOW!!

The one’s who are up for discussion, let it be because they have already seen the film or like spoilers, KEEP READING!

Please note that this is just my decent personal opinion. You don’t have to agree to it! I welcome any other thoughts and explanations in the comments!

After a long back and forth about the release date and whether or not it was going to be shown in my area, I finally got to watch Bel Ami on the big screen on Thursday.

I’ll just skip how it was in a very small cinema (I didn’t even know existed), how me and the bestie were 2 of 5 people sitting in there and how we were BY FAR the youngest aswell.

While feeling terrible about actually typing this, I just have to say it. Out loud.

The movie didn’t quite have the effect I expected it to have on me. And I am not talking about the part where I had to cross and uncross my legs because of Rob. I mean the altogether feeling of a movie… I just wasn’t feeling it for a reason… Idk, maybe I’m weird but when I got out of the cinema there was no “OMG THIS MOVIE WAS SO GOOD!” gushing with my Bestie. It was more like “OMG ROB LOOKED SO GOOD IN THIS MOVIE!!”. It actually made me feel terrible because it was super obvious that I was only in this movie for Rob and not for the story (or because I like period movies).

I made a list of thoughts running through my mind during the movie. Since I wrote them down AFTER the movie they’re out of order

• It was really hard for me to follow through because I haven’t read the book. Maybe 100 minutes were simply too short to pack so much into?
• Wasn’t Georges supposed to be the evil guy? Because I felt more sorry for him than I did for any other character in that movie (besides Mr Forestier. His death was sorta sad, even though he sorta was one evil motherchucker; but I hate movie deaths almost as much as RL one’s #Trufax).
• Is it only me or did it shine through that Georges truly loved Clotilde? I mean she “hung out with him” when he had nothing…? That sure must’ve had an impact on him?
• Whores back in those days were sorta hilarious (looking).
• I’ve seen waaay more of Christina Ricci than I ever intended to.

That being said, yes, Rob was really hawt in the movie. His performance was really good! Better than the critics had made me believe! I’ll even go as far and say that he outshone everyone he had a scene with. He was like… The equivalent of what Charlie Swan is to Twilight!! (Admit it, Charlie OWNS every scene he’s in). In a weird way, seeing Rob in a role like that only excited me more for Cosmopolis. I can’t wait to see him in that one!

All in all, the movie was ok but if Rob had not been in there to spice it up a bit I probably wouldn’t have watched it *shrugs*.

Bel Ami made me thirst for Cosmopolis,

Why I’m not going to See/Read Cosmopolis.

Last night when I was skimming around IMDb, looking at trailers for movies coming out in the next few months (, YAY!!! This one I AM going to see) I came across the trailer for Cosmopolis. Here’s a link, if you’re curious: Cosmopolis trailer.

I stopped to look at it cuz, hey, Robert Pattinson, and I’m curious about what he’s up to, sans Twilight. I wonder if people felt that way about Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford away from their Star Wars rolls. I have a feeling Pattinson wants very badly to avoid being forever remembered as Edward Cullen. His role in Water for Elephants didn’t quite do that. He was still rather broody and romantic. Anyway, I watched the trailer and quickly decided that this one isn’t for me. Out of curiosity, I went to look up what I could about Cosmopolis, the book, on Amazon to see what people were saying about it.

From Publishers Weekly

DeLillo skates through a day in the life of a brilliant and precocious New Economy billionaire in this monotone 13th novel, a study in big money and affectlessness. As one character remarks, 28-year-old Eric Packer "wants to be one civilization ahead of this one." But on an April day in the year 2000, Eric’s fortune and life fall apart. The story tracks him as he traverses Manhattan in his stretch limo. His goal: a haircut at Anthony’s, his father’s old barber. But on this day his driver has to navigate a presidential visit, an attack by anarchists and a rapper’s funeral. Meanwhile, the yen is mounting, destroying Eric’s bet against it. The catastrophe liberates Eric’s destructive instinct-he shoots another character and increases his bet. Mostly, the action consists of sequences in the back of the limo (where he stages meetings with his doctor, various corporate officers and a New Economy guru) interrupted by various pit stops. He lunches with his wife of 22 days, Elise Shifrin. He has sex with two women, his art consultant and a bodyguard. He is hit in the face with a pie by a protester. He knows he is being stalked, and the novel stages a final convergence between the ex-tycoon and his stalker. DeLillo practically invented the predominant vernacular of the late ’90s (the irony, the close reading of consumer goods, the mock complexity of technobabble) in White Noise, but he seems surprisingly disengaged here. His spotlighted New Economy icon, Eric, doesn’t work, either as a genius financier (he is all about gadgetry, not exchange-there’s no love of the deal in his "frozen heart") or a thinker. The threats posed by the contingencies that he faces cannot lever him out of his recalcitrant one-dimensionality. DeLillo is surely an American master, but this time out, he is doodling.

I also recommend looking at this Amazon reviewer’s review. http://www.amazon.com/review/R8ARNCA9UPMFJ/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0743244249&nodeID=283155&store=books In which she says “It’s a fine book. A worthwhile read. I hated it!”

Obviously, nothing about Cosmpolis is going to satisfy my need for squee, i.e., no fanboy, fangirl quotient, in particular no appeal to a passionate fan of various elements of geek culture. Nope, nothing geeky about Cosmopolis at all. It’s sophisticated to the Nth degree. I, on the other hand, get giddy over the knowledge that I’m going to spend my Mother’s Day gawping at Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., and Chris Evans all in one movie together, in one place, at one time. Forget flowers. Give me fit men in body hugging superhero costumes. I’m an unapologetic geek.

But, the Squee factor isn’t always the issue in choosing to read/not to read something. Nothing about Octavian Nothing should have appealed to me on its face. It was historical and political, and despite that the story and characters went straight to my heart. I don’t think Eric Packer or his story is going to touch on my emotions that way. I do think people like Erick Packer really exist. I do think DeLillo’s story is probably extremely relevant. I bet DeLillo illuminates some significant social and economic flaws in our system, and he might even be a virtual Nostradamus. But for me, I suspect trying to read it will only make me feel like outer-space alien trying to make sense of a strange world for which it has only limited language and social context. Just reading the Publisher’s Weekly summary makes me uncomfortable, and I don’t step outside of my comfort zone in leaps and bounds, but in fits and false starts.

Of course, I can’t really know if I’ll love or hate Cosmopolis unless I read it. But I’m not going to. It has a vague stench of offal about it– sweetbreads and other Haute Cuisine that the erudite swear they enjoy. And maybe they do, but I’m a Taco Truck kind of girl, and I tend to read Taco Truck kinds of books.

I decided to put this paper up today.

Click for HQ

I really love these two.  Check out the clip again while you’re here!

Enjoy your weekend! Please be kinder to your bodyguard (or you drivers, or your wives or your friends or your co-workers) than Eric was.  As a benchmark, anyway

via

We’ve excerpted some highlights below but the full pdf file can be accessed at Telefilm Canada. (Note: I got excited and posted most of the notes – enjoy!)

ADAPTATION

When asked how COSMOPOLIS came into his life, David Cronenberg smiles: “COSMOPOLIS is one of those gifts that come out of the blue,” the kind one hopes for, but which are rare. Paulo Branco—a recognized Portuguese producer whom Cronenberg knew of but had never met—approached him with the rights to DeLillo’s Cosmopolis. Branco thought David was perfect to adapt it: “I knew David’s artistry would balance the novel’s sensitivity and violence on screen.”

However, Cronenberg acknowledges that in “reinventing the story for the cinema…in a strange way I think you have to betray the book in order to stay faithful to it.” David explains that some material in the novel wouldn’t translate to the screen: “Specifically,  here is a lot that goes on inside the heads of certain characters, and that’s not something a movie can do without a voiceover, which to me is not the solution. I think the film should feel like the book, so I was quite prepared to be brutal in cutting things out to preserve the essence of the story.” Although David closely adheres to what Producer Martin Katz calls DeLillo’s “terrific concentration on thoughtful, clever, stagey, theatrical dialogue,” the story had to be altered for the screen. Because of the changes, David cautioned the actors against reading the novel. Nevertheless, DeLillo was supportive throughout the filmmaking process and told Cronenberg he approved of the script when they met at Paulo Branco’s Estoril Film Festival.

Casting

“Casting is a black art,” proclaims David Cronenberg. “You can kill your movie by making a mistake before you’ve even shot film.” When Robert Pattinson’s name was proposed for the lead role of Packer, Cronenberg watched much of his work—including the young actor’s role as Salvador Dali in Little Ashes—and he was sold: “Rob was the most interesting and exciting actor suggested for COSMOPOLIS, and I knew that he would bring something wonderful to the screen—maybe even something he didn’t know he had.” Under David’s direction, Robert delivers an edgy, understated performance. In fact, Robert notes that he has never felt “utilized to this degree as an actor,” and fellow cast member Paul Giamatti describes Robert’s casting as “genius.”

Robert Pattinson—Eric Packer

Eric Packer is a selfish young member of the ruling class, at the top of the super-rich 1%. He is an anti-hero whose privileged reality is decadent and isolated. Casting Robert Pattinson in this unsympathetic role wasn’t obvious. Robert’s super-stardom perhaps gives him some insight to the pressures of success, but his pressures include the attention of a zealous fan base that might expect him in a different role. And he is younger than Eric Packer was envisioned, an age difference that influences the rest of the casting process. On the other hand, young billionaires and tech-savvy traders are not unusual in today’s society.

Plus, casting Robert presents an opportunity to attract a new generation to Cronenberg’s work. Ultimately, the choice rested on Pattinson’s talent and experience, with or without celebrity.

Cronenberg found Robert mature and willing to challenge himself: “…Rob is not deluded about his fame; he understands that popularity is not the essence of being a good actor, andrecognizes the danger of taking projects to please others rather than himself.” Bringing the egomaniacal Eric Packer to life required Pattinson to forget being a sympathetic character. Cronenberg observes, “Some actors worry about not being appealing or sensitive, but that was never an issue for Rob; it was always about finding the often unlikeable truth of who Eric is and what it means to be a 25-year-old billionaire…. Rob is incredibly likeable, but he doesn’t need to be liked.” So Eric Packer, a financial god, perhaps soulless but with feet of clay, is realized by the charismatic, modest Robert Pattinson.

Robert was surprised and excited by the COSMOPOLIS offer. He recounts receiving the screenplay about a year earlier and thinking it was “one of the most original scripts” he’d read. However, he doubted he’d get the part: “Then the offer came out of the blue and I was amazed!” Praising David’s consistently “thought-provoking” and innovative work, Robert says he was certain about taking the part; however, he admits, “I had no idea how I was going to play it…. I was scared at first, mainly because I could interpret the script and play it so many different ways….” He didn’t have much time with David before shooting, but he knew he was in good hands. His trust in the director, as well as David’s in Robert, was wellfounded. “I could feel David moulding it as we shot, and that made me really comfortable because it meant there was no specific right or wrong way. Eventually, I was very relaxed, especially for it being such an intense piece.”

Pattinson wanted a project that would take him to the edges of himself, and COSMOPOLIS provides the character to do it. Eric Parker is inscrutable and contradictory, both calculating and reckless. Robert had to find the emotional core of a man who is desensitized, a man who interprets the world in terms of numbers and acquisitions. Robert notes, “I think Eric has an all-consuming ego.” He lives an artificial existence, and Eric’s success seems a product of detachment and cold rationality. Yet his odd quest for a haircut is risky, irrational. He normally makes people come to him, including a physician for a daily exam, but he insists on seeing an old-fashioned barber on the opposite side of town, despite the risk to his personal safety.

Rob notes his character’s grasp of contemporary events, business and politics. Eric Packer’s knowledge of the world, however, comes primarily through technology, and he sees most things as mere information, “some kind of list or matrix,” Rob suggests, about which he is dispassionate. Rob describes Eric “Watching screens informing him of current data all the time. I think he ends up taking drastic measures just to feel something because he’s become so desensitized.” He knows, and somewhat owns, many people but seems to have no friends. Even his new wife feels distant, an acquisition, someone to use or ignore. He is the master of his cosmos, but is he lonely at the top? Does he care? The enigma of Eric’s character is central to the film, and his interaction with secondary characters both shapes that puzzle and perhaps gives clues to solving it.

 Read the rest after the jump

Supporting Cast

Cronenberg assured Pattinson of his directorial support in creating an authentic Eric Packer. He also promised Rob “fantastic actors” to work with on COSMOPOLIS — and delivered. In addition to the masterful Paul Giamatti, Robert performs with cast ranging from the fresh talents of Sarah Gadon and Jay Baruchel to French luminaries Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric. Pattinson sums up the ensemble cast: “All the actors come from differentn backgrounds, have different personalities and have all done completely different kinds of movies. They didn’t know a lot about the film, but everybody wants to work with David and that’s why they’re here.”

Security:

Eric Packer is protected by seen and unseen forces. Kevin Durand plays Torval, Eric’s head of security. At 6’6” he is an intimidating presence, and his character is armed and dangerous. Torval is constantly warning Eric away from his journey, especially as he receives information about “credible threats.” But Eric ignores the warnings and subverts his own security.

Durand sees his character “as a frustrated, ex-Military, father-figure to Eric.” He likens Eric to “his teenage son; I can try to guide him in the right direction, but he will ultimately do what he wants.” Torval’s assistants are Kendra (Patricia McKenzie) and Danko (Zeljko Kecojevic), whose intense encounters with Eric function to further reveal his emotional emptiness.

The Chiefs of Staff

Enroute to his haircut, Eric meets with his business advisors. First to visit the limo is Shiner (Jay Baruchel), Packer’s trading partner and Chief of Technology. Packer depends on his electronic interface with the world and his expectations are high. Shiner is charged with delivering on those expectations, but the character is more casual and less business-like than we might expect. Or would we? Baruchel describes his character as “One of the dot com kids… a slacker who became a millionaire.” He is entrusted with Packer’s technical security, and it has made him rich, but he doubts the meaning of it all.

Vija Kinski (Samantha Morton) is Packer’s Chief of Theory. Specifically, Vija theorizes about the philosophy of finance, one devoid of humanity. Morton embodies a woman so much in her head that she barely notices the riot going on outside the limo as angry protesters spray graffiti and bounce around the limo. Reality and theory are at odds all around her, but she is unwavering.

We meet Packer’s Chief of Finance, Jane Melman (Emily Hampshire), as the single mother diverts her jog—on her one day off—to meet with Eric in the limo about a crisis with the yuan. His disregard for her personal life and preoccupation with his own concerns exasperates Jane, yet there is an odd excitement between them. She talks to him in the limo—and confirms his dangerous financial position—while he has his daily medical tests, even during his prostate exam.

The Art Dealer

Knowing Eric is a fan of artist Mark Rothko, Didi Fancher (Juliette Binoche) visits Eric in his limousine to tell him that she’s found a painting she thinks he should buy. After they make love, Eric tells her he’s not interested in a single painting; he wants to buy the entire gallery. Binoche notes that “Didi is conflicted because she is obviously attracted to Eric and wants his business, but offended by his vulgar greed.” When asked what Binoche brings to the role, Cronenberg smiles: “She brings her French-ness, talent, humour, sensuality, all the while illuminating a side to our lead character that we may not otherwise see; that he is someone who’d be involved with a mature, strong, opinionated woman.”

The Wife of 22 Days

Sarah Gadon, the Toronto actress who played Carl Jung’s wife in Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, appears in COSMOPOLIS as Eric’s new wife Elise. She is a contemporary New Yorker with rich parents and a boarding school drawl, but she isn’t all about money. “Elise has a veneer of an Upper East Side woman and talks a lot about sex, but underneath she’s very much an intellectual and artist,” Sarah observes. “I think Eric and Elise are just young kids trying to be so much more evolved than they actually are; Elise loves Eric, but he’s very much a symbol of wealth while she is more a symbol of art and intellect—or she thinks she is—and the two together create friction which is exciting… but can’t last.” As for resemblance between the character and the actress, Pattinson affectionately notes: “Elise is kind of an ice queen, but Sarah’s really funny and sweet.” 

The Pie Assassin

Mathieu Amalric’s anti-capitalist activist Petrescu delivers a pie in the face to notoriously ultra-capitalist Eric, in a rare unprotected moment on the street. This scene was shot just days before an activist and comedian gave Rupert Murdoch a similar treatment in a British parliamentary hearing, an intriguing example of art anticipating life. Amalric acknowledges the humour of his role but also the disturbing element: “It’s a funny but scary moment that only David Cronenberg can master.” Paulo Branco describes this same moment as “terrible but real.”

The Dead Celebrity

K’Naan appears on screen in an open-air hearse. He plays the murdered rap star Brutha Fez, a spiritual musician who is treated as a god by the masses. Off-screen the Somali- Canadian collaborated with Howard Shore on the single for which his character Brutha Fezis remembered, entitle Mecca, based on DeLillo’s own lyrics from the novel.

The Disenfranchised

Benno (Paul Giamatti) is a mysterious character ultimately revealed to be a bitter former employee of Packer. He has been quietly stalking Eric with complicated motives and intentions. When they finally meet, Benno provokes a vulnerable side to the billionaire that was barely glimpsed before. Cronenberg describes Benno as “the conscience of Eric Packer. Benno confronts him over his ultimate lack of humanity and remorse and his sole concentration on pursuit of wealth.”

Giamatti has long wanted to work with Cronenberg, and he agrees with the director about his character: “Benno’s a kind of moral compass—even an alter ego—to Eric, who shows more emotion in this scene than any other in the film.”

SHOOTING THE FILM

COSMOPOLIS embodies the classical unities of action, time, and place. Although episodic in many respects—it is, arguably, a halting road trip—the narrative is unified in so far as it develops around Eric’s quest for a haircut. That is his stated single purpose, and all else is a temporary diversion—at least to a point. The psychological journey is, of course, more complicated, but the central action is unified.

Unity of place occurs in more than one way. The place is the journey that is solely through Manhattan. In fact the story is named for a place—a cosmopolis. The term evokes universality, and the story addresses globalization. New York is both specifically referenced and acts as a “mythical, iconic city,” says Cronenberg, yet it is the world inside the limo—Eric’s isolated, manufactured, luxurious space—which is the primary location of the film and where much of the action takes place (though ironically he uses it to travel toward danger).

The veteran director felt it wasn’t necessary–or even desirable–to shoot in New York. Instead, he had the controlled limo set created inside a Toronto studio. Unity of time is inherent in the plot. COSMOPOLIS unfolds in fewer than twenty-four hours.

Eric decides one morning that what he really wants—and he is a man accustomed to getting what he wants—is a haircut. It has to be a particular barber, and obstacles delay him, but he journeys on through the course of a day and into night. This “day-in-the-life” time frame presents the cast in an episodic manner. These unities are seen even in the way Cronenberg made the film, finding it helpful to shoot mostly chronologically so he could watch it evolve and gently guide it. This method also helped to show every step of Eric’s subtle evolution through the day.

DIRECTING STYLE

There are many ways to direct a film. Cronenberg’s way does not involve rehearsing, improvising dialogue or using story boards: “I want the actors to have input into how they move around on set; their body language is as important as dialogue.” Only after that time on set alone with the actors do they bring the crew on set and perform the scene like a pieceof theatre.

With the episodic nature of COSMOPOLIS, and no rehearsal, actors would come in for a couple of days not knowing the stylistic tone. Pattinson appreciated Cronenberg’s method: “There was a natural process of getting to know each other which worked brilliantly, especially on this film where there are so many long scenes with so much dialogue, obscure tone and rhythm. Generally, he picked up on it when it felt right for me and he always liked those takes.”

Cronenberg clarifies: “Especially with an experienced actor like Paul Giamatti there are so many layers, so much depth, levels of emotion that he can convey in a line of dialogue –that’s fascinating – and gives me a sense of how to shoot it. Whether it should be a close up or a wider shot, to see a detailed view of body language.”

Giamatti found the experience on Cronenberg’s set “liberating.” He explains: “I’ve never worked with such a confident director who has the courage to take full responsibility for the film, which takes the pressure off as an actor, so you’re free to do whatever you want.”

Pattinson comments on David as an auteur: “It never feels like David’s taking notes from producers to make the movie appeal to a certain quadrant. It’s understandable when it does happen, but it’s really only because of David that a film like this can be made. I really felt like an actor on this film and felt like I was a part of a creation, rather than just a bunch of stuff strung together with music stuck on.”

ABOUT THE DESIGN

Cronenberg has refined his shooting style and trusts his collaborators, encouraging them to give their best, bringing with it a shorthand and confidence. After a private blocking with the actors on set, a crew rehearsal is led by long-time cinematographer, Peter Suschitzky. This is their tenth film together. COSMOPOLIS marks Director of Photography Peter Suschitzky’s first time using digital photography (Ari Alexa) instead of 35 mm film. The new format was particularly helpful on this film because the camera itself is much smaller than a regular film camera, making it able to fit more easily and shoot more effectively inside the confines of the limo. In addition, the Alexa is very sensitive to light, making lighting set ups in dark conditions, both in studio andlocation at night – faster and easier.

A LIMO IN ELEVEN PIECES

Under the direction of Production Designer Arv Greywal, two pristine white limousines were purchased to create the main setting of the film. The first is seen in exterior shots of Eric getting in and out of the limo, driving through city streets, into a riot in Times Square. This car is eventually vandalized, beaten and burned, generally mirroring Packer’s own breakdown and descent into destruction.

The second car was promptly carved into eleven pieces. Each piece was customized and modular so it would come apart to facilitate shooting from various angles within in the limo against a green screen. In post-production, Mr. X. Visual effects team would transform the green screen into Manhattan streets all the way across town.

Space limitations meant that Cronenberg couldn’t be in there with the actors. So, he listened with headphones and communicated through an intercom system while watching the action on a monitor. Of course, he was only a few feet away from them and spoke to them personally a lot of the time.

Robert Pattinson found the system worked beautifully: “I was in a car for the majority of the time, and David was out by the monitors on an intercom, and yet he was incredibly sensitive to every little thing we did, even when we weren’t conscious of it. He always seemed to pick up on things when they were getting interesting, and that was very reassuring.”

In addition, Pattinson found shooting in the car helped his characterization of Eric: “I became familiar with the car and comfortable in my seat, while each of the other actors had to come in and figure it all out for themselves. Everyone else felt alien in ‘my’ domain.” Given the nature of the story, this seems a fitting dynamic in which to work.

There was however, a claustrophobic element that made shooting in the limo no easy task says Samantha Morton: “Truly the most challenging role I’ve ever had! So much dialogue in my head and the limo moving and people running around! Thank heavens for David’s comforting voice on the intercom!” Furthermore, most of the actors are only in the limo. Cronenberg joked that this was his version of Das Boot and encouraged people to see Lebanon, which takes place in a tank.

After shooting mostly in the limo for over a month, Pattinson found it “refreshing” to get out and work with other actors experiencing a new set with him in Benno’s space and the barber shop, also meticulously created on set by Arv Greywal and his team.

 WARDROBE:

 With a lead character in the same wardrobe for the duration of the film, costume designer Denise Cronenberg recognized the need for perfect choices – and several of them – from day one. Gucci delivered on both fronts: seven black slim cut suits, white shirts, and black ties, belts and shoes. Denise comments: “I needed multiple costumes for Rob’s character so whatever creative choices and possible breakdown of clothing were made during shooting, we would be equipped.”

MUSIC

Three-time Academy Award® winning composer Howard Shore has worked with Cronenberg for over thirty years. Their working relationship has become intuitive. Through discussion of the script and characters with Cronenberg, as well as reading DeLillo’s book, they brought in the young energy Metric to contribute music to the film, and K’naan to perform the single, Mecca.

via Telefilm Canada

Robert Pattinson will be starring in Mission: Blacklist

The Twilight star will play Eric Maddox in the new movie, which revolves around the search for Saddam Hussein.

Interrogator Maddox lead the campaign to find out where Hussein was hiding after the fall of his regime in 2003.

Maddox co-wrote the book Mission: Black List #1: The Inside Story of the Search for Saddam Hussein – As Told by the Soldier Who Masterminded His Capture, with Davin Seay.

The film will be directed by Jean-Stephane Sauvaire and based on an adapted screenplay by Erik Jendresen, who penned Band of Brothers.

Maddox told Fox News: ‘I think the entire story of how Saddam was captured was misunderstood.

‘It was an interrogation over four months. I interrogated over 300 people.’

Pattinson has been working on reshoots for the final Twilight Saga movie, Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

His next movie, David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, will be screening at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

The actor stars as troubled billionaire Eric Packer, whose life gradually spins out of control in the course of 24 hours in Manhattan.

He told The Observer last year that he was worried about fulfilling people’s expectactions of him.

‘In career terms Twilight was like a security blanket,’ he said.

‘Not a blanket – a safety net. I had a three- or four-month window between each one during which I could do another job. But whatever I did I knew that I’d have another Twilight movie on the way, which is theoretically guaranteed to make a lot of money. So I could always afford to fail.’

He added: ‘After the last one comes out, you can kind of have two failures – and they’d better be low-budget failures. Because if you have one big-budget failure you’re pretty much done in this environment.’

‘I’m now this ‘thing’ that’s supposed to be something. And if you then don’t fulfil that expectation, what the f*** are you?’

VIDEO: Check out the Cosmopolis trailer

Click for HQ

What mystery he glimpsed in this functional muscle. He felt the passion of the body, its adaptive drive over geologic time, the poetry and chemistry of its origins in the dust of old exploding stars. How dwarfed he felt by his own heart. There it was and it awed him, to see his life beneath his breastbone in image-forming units, hammering on outside him.

He’s in such a vulnerable position and yet, Eric still makes himself bigger than life.  A galaxy, Eric?  Really?

Enjoy your weekends and make yourself a galaxy!  Until next week!

In addition, French ‘Cosmopolis’ DVD information is available HERE with a current release date of Sept 25th.

via spunk ransom

UPDATE: We have the original interview, untranslated HERE.

Interview with Robert Pattinson:

Were you already familiar with the novel by Don DeLillo?No. But I had read some of his other books. I first read the script sent to me by David Cronenberg and only after the novel. The script is so faithful to the book that seems almost incredible, especially considering that Cosmopolis was deemed impossible to adapt. Even before reading DeLillo’s work, I was struck by the pace of the screenplay was agitated and the relentless tension.

What was it about this film that has attracted your attention?Cronenberg, without a doubt! I shot a few films and I could not imagine how it would work with him. I was not disappointed … I knew he would play with his creativity and that this experience would have scored. I left the script involving the same way you can be fascinated by a long poem, a poem very mysterious. Usually, when you read a script, you quickly understand what it’s about, where it will go and how it will end, although there are unexpected twists and sophisticated solutions that address the course of history. With the script of Cosmopolis, however, was completely different: the more I read and I could not understand how it would be more evolved and pushed me to think of wanting to be part of the film. Would not it be like shooting a movie any, but a separate and unique opportunity.

These interviews are HUGE (yay!) Loads more after the jump.

The first time he read the script we have seen in the role, you imagined how it would be?Not at all. The first time I spoke with David I have explained that I could not prefigurami nothing and he reassured me that was a good sign. Since then, I have asked many questions and I left all the text to evolve in a progressive and organic, in transforming visual choices that would form the film. It was a living process, although during the first week of filming we were all still wondering which way he took everything once finished shooting. Everything was very charming, it was as if the film was modeled step by step.

Now it is ready, the film is very different from the script or, conversely, has stuck to what was on paper?Hard to say, the film moves on several levels. I’ve seen it twice so far. The first I was amazed by its farcical side: while touring knew what they were seeing on the screen but the tone was alienating. The second time, however, has taken over the weight of what they had been involved. It has been two private screenings to test the reception of the public, whose reactions were varied and wide ranging, from smiles to the tension. Despite its complexity, I was amazed at how Cosmopolis was able to cause such a wide range of emotions.

In your opinion, who is Eric Packer? As you describe it?For me, Eric feels like a person who belongs to another world, living as if he had been born on another planet and then tries to discover who really should live. Very simply, Packer does not understand how the world works and how.

However, it has enough knowledge of the world he lives to be able to create a fortune.Yes, but in a very abstract. Banking, brokerage and speculative activities are unconnected. If managed well in all it is not because it is an industry specialist. If anything, it is very rare with an instinct, something very mysterious and profound, which can treat the algorithms as if they were spells. In the film, as in the book, you can see that his approach to financial data tends to show it again in the future, as they do not know how to live the present. Perhaps, somehow, manages to capture the mechanisms of the world around him but only in a particular way and obscure.

Has discussed this with David Cronenberg?A little, yes. But he liked when I was looking for answers to something inexplicable. In particular, appreciated as I began to pray without really knowing what I was doing and, as soon as he realized that I was giving birth to the sequences of cause and effect, I froze. It was a very strange way to direct, based entirely on feelings rather than ideas.

How did you prepare for the role?David does not like tests. We have not talked much about the film before it began to spin. During production, I only met the other actors on the set and only there I discovered how would literally appeared in the limo of Eric Packer. And it was quite pleasant. Since the beginning of filming, it’s as if I had lived through the film and the machine: I was always there, had become my home and in my space I welcomed all the other actors, came to visit while I remained seated on the kind of throne. Feeling all one with a velvet that environment was comfortable enough and all the others had to practically adapt to what was my world.

You had signs on the appearance of his character, or on clothing?Yes, the important thing was that Packer had a neutral appearance. We then sought to avoid the most obvious features and stereotypical business people. The only discussion was only on the choice of sunglasses to wear at the beginning, I tried a couple that were anonymous and that they said nothing of the character.

Make much difference shooting the scenes in the same chronological order of the script?I think it was very important, it creates a cumulative effect that shapes the entire film. At the start of filming, no one knows what will be the final tone…Well, perhaps only David but he has never suggested. For the crew, the identity of the film you constructed as Packer revealed something more about himself. Also, let me turn in order to capture the full essence of Packer when his life is gradually falling apart.

One of the peculiarities of his role is that, one after another, he finds himself having to meet and interact with different actors. How does it feel?When I agreed to do the film, the only actor Paul Giamatti was already engaged, I’ve always considered a great. Then, it was quite magical and frightening to see Juliette Binoche, Samantha Morton and Mathieu Amalric transformed into their characters. Each of them brought a different tone on stage and has not been easy being in a short time as David had asked of them. They had to transform their acting and be guided by the context. I was inside the world of Cosmopolis long but they had been accustomed to that reality and tune into its rhythm. While we were shooting, Juliette Binoche was also very involved in the creative process, suggesting different hypotheses of acting then put in place.

This means that there are various styles of acting, dictated mainly by the different nationalities of actors? Or all the actors have complied with the provisions of Cronenberg?There are different feelings and I think David wanted no more. Paradoxically, this diversity is underlined by all the celebrities who are allegedly American, except the one by Mathieu Amalric. This diversity is connected to the city of New York, where everyone seems to come from different places and where the mother tongue of many people is not English. Of course, the film does not aim to recreate the effects of realism: it takes place in New York but never insist on a particular location. Having actors with different backgrounds that mirror those of the city contributes, if anything, to give to Cosmopolis strangeness and abstraction.

For its part, had in mind some model or actor for inspiration?On the contrary. Actually, I just tried to avoid any possible reference. I did not want the audience in front of Cosmopolis is reminded of other films with Wall Street in the center, the financial world and the rich bankers. I had to find my own approach rather than relying on attitudes and acting in effect already seen.

Remember if Cronenberg has ever had special requests while you working with him?He insisted that pronunciassimo every word of the script to the letter, the dialogue would be those already written. Would not tolerate any change. The screenplay is based largely on the pace and had to be careful with the words. But David’s approach was very positive, few were clinched take, and this seemed almost scary. Paul Giamatti just arrived on the set had to recite a monologue in one breath, and David was able to shoot it without any interruption. I was fascinated by both the performance of Paul that the readiness and the safety of David.

Have you enjoyed working in this manner and strictly adhere to the dialogues written?It was something that still does not know and that was one of the main reasons why I agreed to do Cosmopolis. I had never done anything like this, usually the scripts set the stage to follow, and each actor gives his contribution, sewing on itself the character. In my earlier films, the dialogues were flexible. This time, however, was how to act in the theater: when you take Shakespeare on stage, you certainly can not change directions.

Somehow, the limo is a bit like a stage.Of course. And, since this framework lends itself to different types of scenes, you must always be ready to change the registry. After many years of my early plays, I found myself having to learn all the jokes. You live in constant tension, you have to be careful but always know that you’ll get a better result. Even if I was forced to live as a recluse during the filming – I know the part to perfection, studying dozens of pages a day and put everything in focus – it was worth it: I left a good feeling, than that experienced on most of the set where everything is divided.

What was the major difficulty while filming?The most disturbing thing was playing a character that does not pass through a clear evolution and does not follow a predictable path. In fact, Packer changed, has evolved from hell, but it’s not like the public is accustomed to seeing. David has kept everything under control. I had never before worked with a director who, taking care of every aspect of his films, is also considered responsible for everything, every little step. At first I found it disturbing but then, little by little, I gained confidence in his methods and I let myself go.

Interview with David Cronenberg:

He knew the novel by Don DeLillo?No, I never read. Juan Paulo Branco and his son Paul have suggested that I adapt for the screen. Paulo came to me and said: “My son thinks you’re the only person who could draw a picture.” Knowing other books by DeLillo and the many great films that Paulo has produced, I thought it was worth a look. This is very unusual for me, because they generally prefer to work on my projects but the two contributing factors led me to consider Cosmopolis and start to read it. Two days later, after reading, I called Paul to tell him that I was there in, I made the film.

He wanted to write the screenplay yourself?Of course. And you know what? I did it in six days. And, for me, it could be unprecedented. In practice, I started writing down all the dialogue of the book on my computer, without modifying or adding anything. It took me three days. When I finished, I asked myself: “There is enough material for a film? ‘. “I think so,” was the answer. I then spent the next three days to fill the gap between dialogue and other things and I got the script. I sent to Paulo. At first, he has not appreciated, but then came back on his feet and we started production.

What convinced him to turn the book into a film to direct it?The amazing dialogues. DeLillo is famous for this but the dialogue of Cosmopolis are particularly brilliant. Some may be called “Pinteresque”, a la Harold Pinter, but we could also rename “DeLillesque”. Pinter is a playwright and his virtuosity by dialogue writer is more than obvious, in a novel but do not expect ever the expressive power of DeLillo’s work.

What was his opinion on the world of Don DeLillo?I had read his books: Libra, Underworld, Dog running … I really like his writing, although it is very American [American is intended for U.S., ndt]. I’m not American, I’m Canadian. A difference of no small importance. Americans and Europeans believe that Canadians are better educated version and slightly more sophisticated as Americans, but is much more complicated than that. In Canada, we have not had a revolution, slavery or civil war. We do not share all of the armed civil violence, we have only the police and army carry around weapons. We have a deep sense of community and we feel the need to guarantee everyone a minimum income, so that the Americans see us as a socialist country! I come from a different universe from that of DeLillo’s books but I understand his vision of America and I can rapportami to it.

Book and movie are set in New York but give a very different city. The novel offers geographical details as the film turns out to be more abstract.In the novel, Eric Packer’s limo through Manhattan from east to west along 47th street. Many of the places described no longer exist and that New York has become the imaginary part. In the film, however, New York has a much more impressive because it really is in the mind of Eric Packer. His version of the city is largely disconnected from the reality of people, he does not understand the people or the city itself. Therefore, I thought it was legitimate to settle for a more abstract version, although the real New York is visible through the windows of the speeding car.

Between the writing of the novel and the film has spent more than a decade. Have you ever thought that this could be a problem?No, the novel is surprisingly prophetic. And while we were shooting it describes many things have happened really, Rupert Murdoch has received a pie in the face and the movement Occupy Wall Street has accompanied the completion of filming. To make the story today, I had to change a few things: perhaps the only difference is that instead of the yen we had to use the yuan. DeLillo has had a very perceptive of what is happening now and how things will turn out. We can say without a doubt that while the book was prophetic, the film is contemporary.

Reads differently when they know that a book could be made into a movie?Yes, of course. Even if it had never happened before thinking of making a film while reading a book. My, usually I read a lot because I like to immerse myself in reading and wondering how I would obtain a movie would ruin any fun. In the case of Cosmopolis, however, I found myself to play two roles simultaneously: one was the classic player immersed in a good novel, on the other hand I was the director who wondered if there was enough material for a film. And when one takes an adaptation, it is as if you got the fusion of sensitivity between two authors, in this case between DeLillo and me (but in the past was the same thing with Ballard or Stephen King). Metaphorically, it’s like having a baby. Need two people and the film reveals itself as a son with whom to reckon. O as a continuous process of Marxist dialectics: Cosmopolis as I turned I could not think that Marx and his Communist Manifesto when you hear the phrase “a specter is haunting the world” …

Only in this case we are not talking about Europe but the world.Of course. For the first time taken an important topic that I never faced before: money. The power of money and the way it shapes the world. To address the question I have not had to do extensive research on the world of finance and staff, constantly present on television, in documentaries or in newspapers. They act and speak as DeLillo has described them, are all of Eric Packer. For me, the reference to Marx is not random. In the Communist Manifesto Marx speaks of modernism, an era in which capitalism has reached such a level of expansion that the company will go faster than the people and the impermanence and unpredictability will reign supreme. It was 1848, but the reality is that you get to see the film. I often wonder what Karl Marx would think if he had the chance to see the scene in the world he had expected.

What does he mean when he speaks of “filling the void between the dialogues”?After three days, my conversations were in a kind of limbo. I had to figure out how to fit them into the limo. So I investigated thoroughly and felt the need to find answers: where is Eric? Where to go? And the others? What is happening in the streets? In what context the attack occurs of the pie in the face? And so on. Then, it is in practical things, the choice of settings and objects in the scene, which will shape the film. I’ve never written a script for another director because when I write I always think of my directing. For me, a script is primarily a plan to be assigned to my team and my players, a production tool. Therefore, I think from time to time to the necessary information for designers, for designers of stage and costume designers, and economic consequences of my every desire.

Among the changes, there’s that scene at the end of the book, when Eric Packer finds himself on a movie set.Yes As soon as I read it, I immediately thought it was not really happening and it was only in the minds of Packer. I did not believe what I had in front of the eyes and imagined I decided to shoot a scene with the naked bodies on a street in New York. I’m generally suspicious of junction with film clips inside another movie, it may be interesting only if it has a role in history. This is one of the major cuts that I made, together with the figure of the homeless woman in the novel that Packer is in his limo on the way back from the rave party. I shot this scene revising but I thought that the situation was unlikely and that would have been artificial.

And, consequently, also cut the chapters in which Benno Levin intervenes in the story, before the finale.Would not work in the film. We needed a voice over or some other trick that often produces poor results. I postponed all meetings between Levin and Packer in the long final sequence: 20 minutes. 20 minutes of dialogue! This is one of those choices you make when you turn a book into a movie, even though being written, you never know what kind of work you’re going to achieve. I am often asked if the result is up to my expectations but I, as I turned, I do not have any expectations. It would be absurd to develop in detail a trail to follow and be followed closely: during processing, they can occur so many things that can totally disrupt a screenplay. This is also why it does not even work with storyboards: they seek to recreate just what you’ve drawn. And this is not my idea of cinema. I need to be constantly surprised, by myself and those around me. I also expect that dazzle both the actors and Peter Suschitzky, the cinematographer on my side since 1987. Working in this way is much more fun.

How did you choose the locations?Curious but 47th street in New York looks like a lot to some major streets of Toronto. We recreated the set putting together elements that recall New York with others taken from Toronto, where we were shooting the interiors. Failing to make filming in a real limo, we had to recreate a bit ‘of scenes in the studio so as to leave the room to move freely. Therefore, what you see in the foreground behind the windows of the car are taken retrospectively added. But the important thing is to consider the limo like a car but not so much as a mental space: get inside the car means getting inside the head of Eric Packer. This is what counts.

Inside the limousine “proustata”. The word appears in many of the translations of the novel, such as in French.Really? It lies in the novel, however, is a neologism created by DeLillo as a reference to Proust and his cork-lined room. DeLillo has invented the verb “proustare”. I’m not sure many people will understand the allusion, but I preferred not to explain where it comes from, giving way to curiosity, but also distortion. While the exterior is the common one of the limousines, the interior of the car is traveling Packer is the result of some major changes: his seat is the symbol of his power and direct it at a higher level than the guests. Many details are directly from the book, such as marble floor.

In the book, there are images in which Packer is seen projected in the future. And among these, in the end, there is that he sees his own death reflected in the glass of his watch. In the film, however, there is no trace.I also shot these scenes but the thought was fake, artificial. For me it was just a ploy narrative: if I had shown the visions of Eric Packer making them a feature of the character, I would have redone in some way the dead zone. Anticipations of the future, I have maintained a single sentence that is somehow connected to billionaire Packer: “Why do not I see things that are not yet happened?”.

How has chosen 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 wanted to Colin Farrell and Elise, his wife, Marion Cotillard. But Farrell had 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.

He thought right now Robert Pattinson?Yes I found interesting in Twilight, even though the work done falls under very special. I saw him in Little Ashes and Remember Me, and I am convinced that it could be my Eric Packer. It is a heavy role, appears in each scene and do not 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.

For this film, has called most of the people with whom he worked in the past. In addition to Peter Suschintzky, he wanted his side to Howard Shore, who wrote the music for all his films from Brood – The brood of evil, 33 years ago. He had special needs for the music?Howard Shore was one of the very first person I sent the script. There were two features of the script: first, the presence of many songs already in the novel, and secondly the large number of dialogues in which the music, never intrusive, must have the background. I needed so unobtrusive music but at the same time able to incisively point out the tone of the story. And the lyrics to music that DeLillo rap singers to sing. Howard has worked with the Canadian band Metric, whose lead singer Emily Haines uses her voice as an instrument in a gentle manner so as to meet all my needs.

She insists on the fact that his players should follow the lines of the script and recite them as they were written.Yes, I repeat. You can make movies that leave actors free to improvise. Many successful directors have done but I have a different perspective. I do not believe that it is up to the actors write dialogues. Much less in this case, where I wanted the dialogues were exactly those of the novel by Don DeLillo. Given this, the actors still had a lot of room for improvisation during filming, they decided the tone and rhythm of the beats. Interesting I think the effort required to Pattinson. Crossing into the limousine various characters played by different actors, has had to adapt to the acting of those who faced him.

He tried to shoot the film chronologically?As far as possible, yes. Were shot in a chronological scenes inside the limousine. As Paul Giamatti has arrived on the set filming almost completed, we shot the last scene of the final also. Sometimes there were some technical difficulties but I managed to respect the history better than in my previous films. As the story unfolds over one day and involves a complex evolution, I found it particularly useful to work in this way.

Interview with Don DeLillo:

How did the idea of the film adaptation of Cosmopolis?I have nothing to do. In 2007, Paulo Branco in Portugal invited me to participate in the Festival of Estoril, coordinated by himself. He likes to have people on the jury are not strictly connected with the cinema, as writers, painters or musicians. Gather to talk about film in this way is an enjoyable and, in a conversation and the other, told me the project of adaptation of Cosmopolis, an idea suggested to him by his son Juan Paul. He had already optioned the rights and I, knowing his track record as a producer and the impressive list of the many great directors he had worked, I said yes. When we raised the question of possible director, Juan David Cronenberg and Paul suggested, in a short time, everything came to life very quickly.

You had read the script?Yes, of course. And I found it incredibly close to the novel. Of course, Cronenberg has cut some scenes on the screen that may not work but remained faithful to the spirit of my novel. When I read the script, it was my clear desire to say nothing and do nothing, Cosmopolis had become a Cronenberg film. It’s my novel but was also one of his films, I found not to affect his job properly. Last March, then I saw the movie already completed in New York and was very impressed: it is much more than I had imagined. I liked the beginning, the opening credits: I find that introduce them to finish them off with Jackson Pollock and Rothko is an incredible idea. And the final scene with Robert Pattinson and Paul Giamatti is simply appalling!

You had never thought about a possible adaptation?Over the years, there have been many proposals to adapt some of my books but in the end he never accomplished anything. I thought then that tailoring Cosmopolis was very difficult undertaking, given that most of the action takes place inside a car, not suited to the big screen. But then I had to think again about how Cronenberg has been able to shoot some scenes inside the limo, which I had originally set elsewhere. And I refer especially to the sequence with Juliette Binoche.

For his novels is almost a paradox: despite being chock-full of film references, seem impossible to transport to film.He’s right but I can not explain why. I always thought that Libra and White Noise could easily be turned into films, but apparently, it’s complicated. I do not know why. In any case, I think you never expect to write a screenplay or adaptation.

The cinema in his novels always plays a major role, although there is hardly any reference to a movie or a director in particular. It seems that more accounts the idea of cinema itself that the models or characters who proposes.What matters most is the feeling that some have compared to other films. I grew up in the Bronx, I used to watch westerns, musicals and gangster films. At that time, did not even know what a noir. Then, I moved to Manhattan and found Antonioni, Godard, Truffaut, the great directors of European cinema and Japanese, from Kurosawa. They were a revelation: the size of their films for me was comparable to that of the most important novels. Many people think that in 1960 I quit my job in an advertising company to write my first novel but it is not true: I stopped working to go to the movies every afternoon. Only then I considered the idea to start writing!

And then you wrote Americana, the story of a man who happens to leave his job in the media sector to direct a film …Exactly. Since then, living near New York, I discovered that some films are not distributed in any other cinema in the United States. At some point in my life, I found myself living in Greece for three years and I had run out of film: not many good movies coming up to there and I realized that the film was missing. And, then, are always careful to observe closely what happens in the film and I think that, ultimately, the horse in Turin by Bela Tarr, The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick and Lars von Trier’s Melancholia have been milestones.

In his novels not only are there many references to the movies but there’s just something from the level of cinematic storytelling. For example, the beginning of Underworld is comparable to a small sequence.This is because, when I write, I need to see what is happening. Even when it’s just two men talking in a room for me just to write the dialogue is not enough. I have to view the scene, understand where the characters, as they sit, what they wear and so on. I had never thought much of my needs but I realized recently writing my new novel, in which the hero spends a lot of time viewing many video files on a large screen. I am comfortable with abstract writing, with stories that seem wise: you should see what happens, I need to see!

You are Italian-American. Have you ever felt in tune with the generation of great Italian-American directors that have exploded in the seventies and which is contemporary?I loved Mean Streets. I grew up in the Bronx and Manhattan in the low Scorsese, Little Italy, but both speak the same language, we have the same accents and behave in the same way. Needless to say then that I was familiar with the rebels and troublemakers, such as Robert De Niro’s character, since I’ve known several. Although, to search for the film which are more consistent, we must go back in time. I was very young when I saw Marty, life of a shy Delbert Mann, who plays in the Bronx, the same neighborhood where I lived. The film was screened in Manhattan and I and 7 other guys we went on a car to go see it. The opening sequence took place at Arthur Avenue on my way! Recognizing corners and shops in a movie that belonged to my reality was an incredible experience. So I never thought someone could make a film in that area.

What was your reaction when you heard that David Cronenberg would take care of the adaptation of his novel?I was pleased. I miss some of his earlier films but also in the Ringers have seen them all. I am particularly fascinated by Crash, eXistenZ, and, of course, A History of Violence. When I heard that he picked Cosmopolis, I wondered if it was the type of material on which he used to work and I thought maybe he had an opportunity to tackle something new. However, I was sure he could make the most of the visual impact of the novel and that would sorpeso everyone, including me. I had no idea how he could but I knew that nothing would be conventional.

He never saw his version of The Naked Lunch?And it is awesome! Exactly the kind of surprise that I hoped for Cosmopolis.

When did you meet Cronenberg?He too was at Estoril and we met on that occasion. But, contrary to popular belief, after we talked a lot of adaptation, I preferred to stay out of the project. We talked a little ‘just that it was shot mostly in Toronto and the main character but the actor we had in mind could not join the cast. When I heard that Paul had chosen Robert Pattinson, I thought that my fourteen year old nephew have finally looked at me with different eyes.

You visited the set?No. I was invited, but I was not considered essential. I’ve been several times on movie sets and find them boring. I spent most of the time waiting.

Speaking of sets, do not worry that most of the shooting were not held in New York because the city is so important in his novel?What matters is what happens inside the limousine. It is a world unto itself, with several intrusions of various kinds, visitors and an angry mob. This is what counts. Furthermore, the amounts taken elsewhere and not in New York gives the film a more general connotation, giving back the idea that what happens can happen in any other major contemporary metropolises.

The book was published in 2003. The film opens in 2012. He has no fear that this interval of time can be a problem for his understanding or to reveal old?No. When they were about to be completed filming, there was the birth of the movement Occupy Wall Street and striking coincidence, since it can also be connected to that which is spoken in the film. Vija Kinski in the film, tells Packer, his boss, the protesters are closely related to the actions of Wall Street and capitalism, and help to update and tweak the system. In a way, helping Wall Street to redefine itself in a new context and a bigger world. In my opinion, this is also what is happening with Occupy Wall Street has not changed anything, did not reduce the astronomical bonuses raked by corporate executives, but has allowed them to study alternatives to the protest.

What was your reaction when you first saw the film? He has found items that were not present in his novel?I was thrilled. There are also funny moments and I was impressed by the whole finale that brings the film to another level. What happens between Packer and Benno Levin is marked by mutual respect, in the book but even more palpable in the work of David Cronenberg. David has done well to cut the two interventions Benno previous meeting, made sense in the novel but not in the film.

The dialogue is almost all his own. How does it feel to hear them on the screen?It’s the strangest thing! I am my own words but taking another life. I wrote about art for example conversazine that Packer and the character played by Juliette Binoche, but somehow for me it was like discovering it (and understand) for the first time.

One of the most important aspects of the book is the way things – and the words used to refer to them – are becoming obsolete and abandoned after a process of accelerated obsolescence. Packer is constantly asks “this thing still exist?”, “What word we use for this?” …True. In the novel, Packer has a particular perception of time that projects it forward and see what happens next. This aspect of the film has disappeared. I paid close attention to the time and manner in which our perception of time is altered and shaped by money. It is said that “time is money” but in the context of Cosmopolis “money is time.” This idea is also in the film, it is only treated in different ways.

His name also appears in the credits, because of a song contained in the film.Yes, I’ve noticed. It is because of the texts that I wrote the book for the rapper and that Sufis were also used in the film. This marks the beginning of a new career for me … as a rap lyricist! I could not be prouder.

source via

Lean back and enjoy with me ladies! Just like Rob does in the following pic…

He sure knows how to enjoy something...

Because it's so beautiful, again in slow-mo!

Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't we at least be able to see a bit of the... the tip?

Eric Packer in all his glory...

^^ And what exactly is keeping you from doing it? Wait, moment of clarity here. Do I really want to be bottle fucked? I’d prefer more… uhm… meaty material?

^^ If you look at the first gif for long enough it seems as if Rob was whispering “Oh yeah…”. If you look at the mischievous smirk in the 2nd one for long enough, you will hump ur screen. Js

Oh we all do, we all do...

Working his Eric Packer smirk again...

"I smell sex all over you" part 2... Wish Rob had said this sentence though...

^^ We all wanna know what he needs that freedom for…

I like it better when it's moving actually. I might use this everytime I need to *shrug* in a post from now on...

Am I the only one obsessed with the flexing of his muscles? lol

DAT JAW YOU GUYS! DAT.JAWWW!!

Dear Rob, never EVER say this to me while we're getting it on mk? Oh to hell with it, I'd still do ya!

^^ Now that’s more like it Rob!

The hell you do! You smoking sob (see what I did there?)

 

Last but certainly not least, just because I love you all so much and sharing is caring… A picture of me and Rob…

I sort of added the "Nom, Nom, Nom" for a better effect...

Rob, let’s have limo sex,

p.s. Please feel free to credit yourselves if any of the edits are yours. I totally forgot about it until I couldn’t find where I got certain pictures from =((

"I need anything you can give me."

Click here to download <1920×1200> size

Click here to download <1368×768> size

Oh Eric, I’ll do my best….ahem, Cosmopolis – freaking amazing trailers right??  Been on repeat ever since right??  Close your eyes and you can still see them right??    What a week!!  Couldn’t be more pleased for him – it’s such an exciting time for his career I think.

I took some screencaps of the trailers to try and wallpaper and the above is one of my favourite images (although there are SO many – just pure heaven!).  It’s not the best quality of photo but I hope you enjoy it – you might notice I’m breaking my ‘I’ll post on a Friday’ thing….Eric demands it.  We still want what we want, right? 

That’s another sign of watching the trailer too many times (how many is too many though?) – quoting lines from it.

Hope you’re having a great weekend. xx

For anyone interested, my Cosmopolis inspired playlist is below – I’m still adding to it.  LOL

<PLAYLIST>

Robert Pattinson shows off his dark side in the trailer for Cosmopolis (Picture: Ascot Elite Entertainment)

The Twilight star is set to show a very different side to his usual screen persona in the film, which is based on the 2003 novel by Don DiLillo.

He stars as troubled protagonist Eric Packer, who attempts to journey across Manhattan in a stretch limo to get his hair cut – but a string of events along the way, from traffic troubles caused by a presidential visit and a rap star’s funeral, through to civil unrest, threaten to tip him over the edge.

And the trailer suggests that Pattinson’s character will be caught up in a string of violent situations as well as sexual encounters.

The film, which also stars Paul Giamatti, Juliette Binoche and Samantha Morton, is set to debut at the Cannes Film Festival next month, where it is one of the movies competing for the coveted Palme D’Or prize.

Co-star Giamatti recently said of Pattinson’s performance, ‘He’s in every second of this movie. The whole thing is him.

‘It’s a very very tricky part, and he was really at home with it.’

As yet the film has no set release date in the UK.

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Cosmopolis

Click for HQ

In celebration of the fantastic news and trailers that we received yesterday, here’s Eric being a badass in the control seat of his limo.  I, for one, am still coming to terms with the  fact that the REAL Eric Packer is here!  Finally!  No more production photos.  We have Eric in the flesh, in his sunglasses and swaggering through the streets of New York City.

I am so thrilled by these trailers and all that we can see.  David Cronenberg has managed to include so many details from the book into his film and I can’t wait to see the whole thing.  If there has ever been a time to GET IN THE LIMO, now is the time. Hop in!

I have a whole stream of fun papers from the trailers coming. I can’t wait to share.  Enjoy the trailers over your weekends and make sure to swagger.

Which excited me for two reasons:

• Cosmopolis being shown there will ensure that people (who are not Rob fans etc) will hear about it. As a result the movie will be taken much more seriously.
• It’s not a big secret I have a huge spot in my heart for Cannesrob. Remember how he looked the first year he went? How absolutely gorgeous he looked by the water on that deck?

How absolutely adorable he was during the interviews (which I’ve gif’d all btw)? And how we all wished he’d come back every year after that?

I guess the time has come now. We’ll all die before we’ve even seen Cosmopolis. Cannesrob will make sure to kill us.

To remind us a bit of why exactly Cannesrob is the best Rob of all Robs (well one of the best anyway, cos I love all Robs) let us stare shamelessly at some Cannesrobp0rn…

INSTANT ORGASM!

And there’s so much more in these two posts…

Tons of gifs over @ Robear is coming to get you

Tons of gifs over @ Let’s remember Rob in Cannes

Hope that’s enough to satisfy us until we get new material,

Robert Pattinson’s latest film Cosmopolis is among those which will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival (Picture: Ascot Elite Entertainment)

The pair – who will return to screens in the latest instalment of the vampire franchise later this year – are starring in films which will compete against each other at the festival for the prestigious Palme D’Or.

Pattinson will feature in David Cronenberg’s latest, Cosmopolis, as troubled billionaire Eric Packer, whose life gradually spins out of control in the course of 24 hours in Manhattan.

Wes Anderson’s latest Moonrise Kingdom will open the festival (Picture: EPA)

Stewart, meanwhile, appears in the film adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic On The Road, which also stars Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund and Kirsten Dunst.

The couple are among a host of big names whose latest movies will feature in competition when the festival kicks off on May 16.

Others include Matthew McConaughey, who stars as an escaped prisoner in Mud – which also features Reese Witherspoon – and as a reporter investigating a case involving a Death Row prisoner in The Paperboy, whose cast includes Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron and John Cusack.

Brad Pitt’s latest, the thriller Killing Them Softly, will also compete for the top prize, while Bruce Willis and Edward Norton will appear in Wes Anderson’s offbeat comedy Moonrise Kingdom – which will also open the festival.

And British director Ken Loach, who is a previous winner of the Palme D’Or, will be making his latest bid for another award with The Angel’s Share, a comedy about a planned whisky heist.

There will, however, be some notable absences from the line-up, with the latest untitled effort from Terrence Malick – whose film The Tree Of Life won last year’s Palme D’Or – reportedly not finished in time.

Former nominee Paul Thomas Anderson, who had been tipped to bring his latest The Master to the festival, is also not ready to be shown. However Woody Allen is expected to join the line-up at a later date with his European comedy To Rome With Love.

The festival will close on May 27 with the French film Therese Desqueyroux, which stars Amelie’s Audrey Tautou.

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Cosmopolis

That was evident in the 30-second teaser released last month, but the full trailer reveals a clearer peek into the psyche of Pattinson’s protagonist Eric Packer — rich, cynical, destructive. Knowing danger is right around the corner, he launches himself into a chaotic 24-hour Manhattan bender filled with sex, gunplay, and anarchic shenanigans. “It makes me feel free in a way I’ve never known,” he says. I’m sure it does, RPattz.

Now, Pattinson aside — the trailer also gives us Kevin Durand as Packer’s bodyguard Torval and Jay Baruchel as Shiner, his tech consultant, both of whom make this even more intriguing for me.

Cosmopolis will screen at Cannes.

[Allocine via The Playlist]

Now back to Cannes. The Cannes Film Festival is a major film festival that takes place in France from May 16 – May 27 where some of the most buzzed about films are presented to be open to a range of feedback. Of course I narrowed in on the buzz surrounding Robbie and Ki Ki’s films, “Cosmopolis” and “On the Road”, because both films are competing against each other for top film of the festival, insert TeamKristen and TeamRobert, which film do you want to come out on top? Where do your loyalties lie?

Cosmopolis Trailer

►