Pattinson vs. Radcliffe--Who'll have the better "later" career?


Watching How to Be, a daft mirthless mess of a coming-of-age "finding oneself" comedy that Robert Pattinson made just before Twilight, I couldn't help but think of his Harry Potter co-star, Daniel Radcliffe, and ponder the fates of the two most adored film pop toy boys of our day.

Which among the two will have staying power in the movies? Will either of them be able to transcend those Teen Vogue/People cover stories and carve out a corner of permanent movie stardom? Radcliffe has ventured onto the stage, tried a non-Potter movie, found a little acclaim beyond the Hogwarts door. Pattinson, though, may have a much rougher time of it.

How to Be is one of those movies that's like your bete noir on the basketball court -- that one team that exposes every single one of your weaknesses. The film has him playing a London lad (David Mamet's Rebbecca Pidgeon plays his mom, seemingly an American) who aspires to be a poet, a singer-songwriter. He performs these morose and only slightly witty ditties that sound like Phoebe from Friends' outtakes. He wants to get it together, or failing that, find somebody to blame. When he stumbles across a Canadian self-help guru, he resolves to spend some inheritance from an uncle and bring the guy (Powell Jones, not remotely funny enough) over as his live-in life coach.


Hilarity doesn't ensue. Pattinson, surrounded by a charisma-starved supporting cast, is a low-heat performer. He simmers well enough. Forced to emote, sell a joke or make a situation funny by his reaction, he's lost. And that mop of hair isn't all that flattering once you've stopped piling it high, giving it highlights and set it against a Kabuki-pale face. Seeing this non-Twilight outing, I understand more of his performance in Twilight. It wasn't Catherine Hardwicke's direction that had him so laughably pouty, smoldering and doe-eyed. That's the dude's range.
A few amusing scenes, a lot of whispered wit (he has a tendency to swallow his lines, as if waiting for a close-up where he can do all the work with his eyes), casting blunders left and right -- How to Be had the makings of a cult film, a Harold & Maude or Brewster McCloud or anything by Alan Rudolph, Jim Jarmusch and their ilk. It isn't.

Well, it won an award at Strasburg, just before Twilight, but not before the Twilight-hype.
He's getting better offers since stardom came calling. but unlike Daniel Radcliffe, the jury's very much out on Pattinson's ability to do anything interesting with them.

Whose career might he emulate? Who had early stardom, struggled to cash in on it, to make good on his chances? Judd Nelson? Rob Lowe? The adjustment's going to be a rough one, I'm guessing. If he's lucky, he'll enjoy that Patrick Dempsey bounce later in life. Radcliffe I could see taking to the stage for a few years, aging past his Leo DiCaprio boyishness, and coming into his own in his mid-to-late 20s.

Source
Are you surprised to hear that we don't agree with this article??

12 comments:

Haystackhair said...

WHAT? Did they watch the same movie as me? And he's still hot even looking adorkable. Dopes. Must be a jealous guy who wrote that.

SweetDulcinea said...

Raging fangirls UNITE!

Dahlia said...

Ye, I don't agree with any of that! They obviously don't have a good taste in movies, or hairstyles :)

mya bluesky said...

about Rob future career im little bit worry about that. after watched his interview with hitfix i guess rob will have a long pause of career after filming breaking dawn. he said that after 3 job next year he probably want to take time for rest..i dunno, i hope he will not do that.

noisefaidaus said...

I think critics believe that it's their right, and their job to bash anything or anyone that becomes popular, before they have a say. Obviously they don't think fans have any brains or taste. Critics seem to think we are sheep that will believe all the BS they write.

rpattzgirl survived Rob! said...

Well, he's entitled to his opinion even though it's CLEARLY WRONG...

It took a lot of skill to look that ridiculous, and play the part that he played...his timing is spot on in the comedy....and his tears (from slapping himself) tore at my heart...

Hands down, Rob will have a long career if he choses to.

kmountainlion said...

I bought the movie, sight unseen and can't wait to watch it. Some critics simply want to antagonize the reader for shock value and this critic has certainly done that. I can't imagine not liking the film because I'm already sold on Rob's style/way. I'm hopelessly committed to his success.

RPLover said...

umm, yeah, that's complete crap!

excuse me, I loved Phoebe on Friends! And I love Rob and think he's incredibly talented! And I've got my copy of HTB ordered and can not wait until I get it, because I've seen enough clips to know that it's a very good, funny and touching movie! So there!!

*sticks out tounge childishly* :P~

(I know I sound about 11 here, but I truly do love this movie and think that the critic here is a jealous dweeb. LOL)

Shani said...

"Powell Jones, not remotely funny enough"???? MY ASS.*shakes head* That man was brilliant and had me cracking up.

Love you Rob, but to me he stole that movie. Every time he popped up it was funny.

Shani said...

And Rob will definitely last a very long time. We have his back.Trust

Anonymous said...

Don't get me wrong - I love me some Daniel Radcliffe just as much as the next Harry Potter freak, but srsly?! This is clearly the jealousy of a man who's girlfriend/wife has an Edward Cullen keychain and her ticket to the New Moon premiere tucked into her Pattinson panties for safe keeping.

AP said...

Ok, not everyone is going to like HTB but judging any actor's potential or 'career' on the basis of one, or even two, films is thin, to say the least. There are many firmly established actors who would suffer with the same comparison. “Private Resort,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Happy Together,” “Cutting Class,” “He Knows Your Alone,”and “Volunteers” aren’t titles that immediately spring to mind when thinking of Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt or Tom Hanks, but they all cut their teeth on such fare when starting out and none could deny they have substantial film careers.

I think HTB is far more original and offbeat than the titles mentioned above and it’s a stretch to categorize it as a typical ‘coming of age’ film or as a simple comedy. It is very firmly set in its own milieu but that doesn’t make any the less worthwhile. He’s also wrong in implying that the Strasbourg award came as a result of the building buzz around Twilight. It didn’t, as Irving attests.

 
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