Life is the story of two men pursuing their individual artistic callings against the grain of industry norms. Both Dennis Stock and James Dean died as glittering names in photojournalism and acting. But in 1955, when this film is set, neither was established.
“It’s an awkwardness, it’s something pure,” is what Dennis (Robert Pattinson) sees in Jimmy (Dane DeHaan). He is dying to get away from the red-carpet beat. In Dean, is the potential material for promotion to his desired field of serious, cultural photography. So begins the slippery business of pinning down the evasive but disarming boy from Marion, Indiana. Languid, conga-playing farmboy Jimmy, wants a friend, not a photographer. He’ll invite Dennis out for jazz and Benzedrine, dismissing the matter of professional engagements.
Dennis is his opposite. He is curt and minimal, essaying a very controlled, clock-watching professional. Pattinson’s performance is as crisp as the white shirt and black suits his character always wears, camouflage for problems that add depth to the film as they settle into shape.
[…] As Life proceeds, Pattinson steps up, allowing more of his character’s insides to come out. The pace picks up and by the third act it’s a compelling dramatisation of an artistically and morally fascinating alliance.
New picture of Robert Pattinson, Michael Epp and Tom Sweet on the set of ‘The Childhood of a Leader’
#TBT Despite the high quality of this pic while shooting “Childhood of a leader, Robert Pattinson still looks good, Tom Sweet is still a genius and I am still tall. #Venicefilmfestival Source via @Robjectify
Anton Corbijn talks about Robert Pattinson with Film4
Did you ever imagine Robert Pattinson as James Dean at all?
Robert’s so nice, and not what you’d expect, so yes, but at the same time, I see a lot of the characteristics of Dennis Stock in Robert. The insecurity, the wanting to prove he’s an actor, much as Dennis wanted to prove he was a photographer. I like these kind of parallel things. I can imagine him wanting to know a lot about the technical details of photography at that time. Yes, Rob got a camera, months ahead of the film, because I wanted him to become familiar with having that with him and taking a picture every now and again and searching for something.
New interview of Robert Pattinson with Associated Press
I like that Rob is doing what he does to make himself happy. That’s what real life should be all about.
“The man relentlessly pursued by photographers is stepping into their shoes for his latest movie role.
British heartthrob Robert Pattinson plays photographer Dennis Stock in Anton Corbijn’s “Life” – which follows the relationship between Stock and a young James Dean (played by Dane Dehaan) who is on the brink of superstardom.
The 29-year-old Pattinson talked to The Associated Press about the transition from celebrity to photographer and the onset of fame after his roles in the blockbuster “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” film series. “Life” comes out on Friday in the United Kingdom and Dec. 4 in the U.S.
Q: “You spend your life in front of the camera, how was it to be behind the camera?” PATTINSON: “It is interesting to feel the power trip, especially when I was shooting the scene on the red carpet, when you are part of the massive throng of people, and not only are you part of the crowd and hidden but you have something you can hide your own face (with). You just see all the pressure is on someone else. It is kind of nice, you feel all secure in your little pack. It is very different.”
Q: “Did it spark an interest in photography? Are you now a budding photographer or were you interested in photography before the film?” PATTINSON: “I wasn’t really interested in photography before. And then I started shooting on the same Leica that Dennis Stock had, I think it’s the same one I’m using in the movie. I took about 20 rolls of film, and then got them all developed, and I was really into it before I saw the photos. I really thought that when someone tells you the fundamentals you think that it’s all going to come out and be amazing. When they’re not you like ‘I don’t understand why aren’t they like genius photos?’ I kind of lost interest afterwards.”
Q: “What is interesting is Dean’s journey … he is on the brink of fame and he is considering the impact that fame is going to have on his life. Was there a moment like that with you?” PATTINSON: “No. I guess Dean had, in the movie anyway, a very strong idea of how he wanted to be and what he felt it was going to be. Whereas I didn’t have any idea like what was going on at all. The first period of getting famous was incredibly strange to me and really fun at the beginning because you didn’t realise the consequences of anything. You could say or do whatever you wanted and it just didn’t matter. I only really realised what being famous was about three years after I got famous, four years afterwards.”
Q: “When you are choosing your roles, do you consider your fan base? PATTINSON: “I don’t think about it at all. I will go through periods where I will think ‘Oh maybe I should do a commercial movie’ and then I just think, someone gave me a really great piece of advice, someone from my agency weirdly, they said the only clients that are happy are the ones that just do what they want to do. … So I just kind of do everything for myself.”
Q: “If you could hang out with Dean for a day, what would you do?” PATTINSON: “I would take a bunch of photos of him because then you would have a whole career, sell a bunch and license them out afterwards. I don’t know, he’s just a 23-year-old guy. He would probably be really annoying.””
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I like that Rob is doing what he does to make himself happy. That’s what real life should be all about.
Thinking of Rob 