At Cannes, when we meet him, Robert Pattinson is serene, sipping a Schweppes, eating a sandwich. And he listens to David Cronenberg as if he was a holy man, a father, a guru. Cronenberg is the director of his latest film, Cosmopolis. A contemporary nightmare, in which Pattinson plays a financial wizard, one of those who earn millions of dollars with one click. Crosses, uncaring, a Manhattan in flames, with the signs of a world - ours - that collapses, closed in the unbreakable casing of his limousine. After all, is a perfect Limousine also its reputation. His success , overwhelming, came after New Moon, shot also in Tuscany, from the Twilight Saga. Pattinson became immediately the "wet dream" of millions of little girls. And now, the twenty-six years guy, must work hard to prove that he is a real actor,
not a vampire that has sucked the success from one film.

"Twilight was a hiccup for him," says David Cronenberg, the encounter with the press, on the terrace of a hotel in Cannes. "Robert is an amazing actor, who before that film had already did challenging movies. He became popular against his will."


Twilight was also the film that made Pattinson explore Tuscany. The most beautiful Tuscany, Montepulciano and the Val d'Orcia. And in Montepulciano, in fact, that in 2009 Pattinson did New Moon, the second film in the Twilight saga. To tell the truth, those scenes in the novel took place in Volterra, not too many miles away. But the production found in Montepulciano a most impressive set - a town that had been set of the international film Dream of a midsummer night with Kevin Kline, and some scenes of Andrej Tarkovsky Nostalgia and The English Patient by Anthony Minghella. And in Montepulciano flashed the first real kiss, outside the set, between Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, Bella (Beautiful her name means and beautiful she is too) in the movie. A love story that still continues.

At Cannes Pattinson skated over the subject, Kristen Stewart is there, with another film, On the Road by Walter Salles. And he says diplomatically: "Yes, I saw the film, it is curious because there is a lot of people I know in it..."

His popularity gives him security? And having played the role in Cosmopolis?
Rob: Not at all! Before shooting a movie, I feel like I was going to have a heart attack. And then, I'm an insecure perennial. For days, I stayed at the hotel asking myself how I should play the character, fearing the most complete failure, until David came to visit me, the weekend before the first take.

And what did Cronenberg say to you?
Rob: He simply said : don't worry. He said: do not think about anything, just pronounce the words you have learned, and everything will be fine. And basically, he was right.

How much you feel the responsibility of a role before you start filming?
Rob: Very much, I really love the words that I have to say , I feel the rhythm of the character. Sometimes as actors, we think we are both good actors and 'improve' a screenplay. Well, I think that's the moment when we're stupid. There's just nothing to improve, in a screenplay.

Cosmopolis discusses finance. It 'a world that you know, finance, courageous investments?
Rob: No, for me finance makes no sense! "He laughs. "I never understood anything, and I'll never understand anything about it.

How hard is it to live if you are Robert Pattinson?
Rob: I know I'm privileged, but I also know that there are problems even for someone like me. For example, to combine work and private life is very difficult. I couldn't easily go out and have fun without creating problems for me and others. But I do not mind this, I was never a social person, in any case. And then, all this mythology, I
know it's fake, almost everyone who think I am a Myth will be bored after two hours with me!

Cronenberg , instead, is not bored to stay with him. Between the two there was quite a " love at first sight". David seems to have found the ideal interpreter, Robert, and for him, David is a sort of spirit guide who will accompany him out of the stagnant sea of easy teenager glory. And together, they willmake another movie:

"Yes, we will do another movie together, although I don't know when we will start shooting," says Robert.

And at the end of the meeting, we ask the obvious, we ask to say hrllo to his fans. Since you shot a movie in Tuscany and you had lived in Tuscany, could say hello to our magazine?

Rob: Yes sure , Ciao Firenze (Hi, Florence)! - Says, laughing.

To tell the truth he says "ciau Firèunzi", but the effect is irresistible.

Source | Scans and Translation | Via | Via