Caffeinated Clint
Ash and I saw “The Rover” this morning – we also saw a brilliant young performer in full flight, one Robert Pattinson. Now this guy has range – those that have caught his post-“Twilight” flicks will attest to it – and this’ll likely be the movie to convince vampire-movie detesters of that.
If Pattinson’s choices post-Edward is anything to go by, the Brit actor seems determined to do movies that don’t fit evenly or restfully into any sort of genre. More so, he’s swaying as far from popcorn fare as could possibly be – his recent crop of credits are the Legal Aid of cinematic entertainment. From “Remember to Me” to “Cosmopolis”, “Map to the Stars” and “The Rover” – an intense Australian thriller that’s part “Mad Max”, part “Animal Kingdom” – nothing in the thesp’s recent choices suggest he even recalls the same guy that sparkled between the forests a few years back. What’s happened here is, the guy used the opportunities that “Twilight” gave him to refashion and reform his career; he’d proven he can help put teen girls on leather seats (speaking about selling cinema tickets, smut hounds!), now he wants to convince everyone else that he’s worthy of his SAG card.
A rumour surfaced today that Pattinson’s in line to headline the next batch of “Indiana Jones” films. Bullshit, I say. Not only does the exclusive puddle of poop come from the make-up-shit-and-see-if-it-circulates bureau of the British press, but it’s about as weighty as a plastic noose.
“Disney is looking at its long-term options for the Indiana Jones franchise. They feel that the series has huge potential on many levels, starting with the films leading to other spin-offs like games which can generate more money than movies. Rob is top of the initial list because he has showed his acting stripes away from Twilight. But the competition will be stiff.”
Pfft.
For starters, Harrison Ford – yes, despite his age – has no plans to retire his incarnation of Indiana Jones at this stage; in fact, he and Disney are said to be cooking up ideas for a fifth film in the series as we speak. I believe that Ford will be off doing Indy 5 after “Star Wars Episode VII” (his Han Solo will apparently have a huge arc in the first of the new films, but there’s talk he mightn’t even be in the other two – leaving room for the new Indy) – or sometime around that calendar box, anyway.
Sure, it’s possible Pattinson could come into the series in sort of a sidekick role – but that didn’t exactly work for the franchise last time around (anyone remember vine-swinging ‘Mutt’?) but the outlet specifically states that Pattinson would be playing ‘Indiana’.
I can see Pattinson reading that article, eyes rolling, choke-laugh forming. He wouldn’t be keen.
As I said, Pattinson seems to be aiming for small, meaty festival-worthy pics – not multi-million dollar blockbusters, and especially – having found himself locked into five “Twilight” films – one that would require him to reprise the same part every couple of years. It’s just not something I see envision he’d be interested in. If his performance in “The Rover” is anything to go by, Pattinson’s going to be off winning awards by the time Disney even get around to finalising the new “Indiana Jones” – so he won’t need it, anyway.
Whenever the UK press throw to the “insider” – picture a 200-pound janitor dancing nude in a shit-stained public restroom. You taking that guy’s word as gospel?
Back to Pattinson, go see “The Rover” – it’s a doozie, and he’s terrific in it.
