He's Not Just Another Pretty Vampire

A few months ago the name Robert Pattinson would have meant little to me. I'd heard the buzz circulating the movie, "Twilight", that he'd been in the last "Harry Potter" movie as Cedric Diggory. One connection I'd never had made, the guy in the context of being a musician. News circulating the internet report what I thought after my first listen to the guy's music: the guy is incredibly talented.

I saw the movie, "Twilight" just a month or so ago. My tweenie daughter wanted to see the film, she's also been reading the Stephanie Meyers books. I hadn't been paying a lot of attention, figuring it's just another High School Musical/Hannah Montana tweenie type thing only with a vampire theme. I was completely wrong and pleasantly surprised. Director, Catherine Hardiwicke incorporates such a cool visual tone to the film footage. The color tone seem to be shot through a bluing filter, that and the musical score carry the undercurrent vibe of love and yearning intermixed with a dose of menace inherent in this supernatural Romeo and Juliet flick.

After seeing the movie I was compelled to read the books - I'm near completion of the last one in print, Breaking Dawn. I also purchased the "Twilight" DVD for my ten year old, of course, re-watched it, leading to my curiosity about some of the actors in the movie. Naturally, most intriguing, the lead actor, Robert Pattinson. Certainly he's more than beautiful to look at, his character in the film likely the envy role of any young male in the industry. Pattinson created such a solid performance in this movie he's turned the opportunity into a break-out, star-making turn. I'm amazed watching some of the videos on Youtube of interviews and appearances that have women and girls screaming and screaming like videos of 1966 and he's one of The Beatles.

Hilarious scanning through youtube, the number of videos created simply celebrating Robert's hair. (Video within that link has over 83,000 hits!) His fans have dubbed him "R.pattz" and "Spunk Ransom". The nickname, R.pattz, carries that edgy tone that the kidz like these days.

Touching on Taylor Hicks for a moment, if Hicks decided to jazz it up would he be called T.hickz? Wait, that looks too much like the guy's 'thick' you know, lacking in the "attic" or wide around the middle both of which he's not - so scratch that.

It's an interesting phenomena how fate can sometimes step in and transform your life. It takes just one thing, one moment, one decision and your life can become altered forever. Finding that one thing and recognizing what it can mean and do for you as well as act on it is a totally different matter. Separates the men from the boys so to speak. Pattinson and the cast in this film, as creatively handled by Hardiwicke, landed in the middle of one of those moments, hit on one of those 'one things' and may find their lives all changed forever.

Researching Pattinson, he modeled, had a role in the Harry Potter movies as Cedric Diggory and also made a few Indie type flicks, both rumored to perhaps never making it to the Big Screen without Pattinson's success in "Twilight". One movie is scheduled for release at the end of this month, "How To Be". It's a story along the lines that would have appealed to a young Johnny Depp, and in fact I've read in several places Pattinson being called the 'next Depp'. This movie is one of those art-house flavored pieces with the lead an angsty, troubled struggling musician distraught after the break-up of a meaningful relationship. That combined with his dysfunctional family send him into a deep retrospection of his life and direction.

Another film that walks in the direction that Depp would have likely approved, a film called, "Little Ashes". Filmed in 2008, it is set to be released May 8. It's completely something Depp would have perhaps done in his early twenties, faux twisted mustachio and all; it's a story of Salvador Dali and his rumored sexual relationship with Spanish poet, Frederico Garcia Lorca.

My favorite discovery from "Twilight" and of Robert Pattinson; his music which was incorporated into the movie by Catherine Hardiwicke. According to Pattinson he did not realize that his songs would be in the film, Hardiwicke surprised him with their inclusions and the music fits insanely appropriately into the feel of the movie. In her incorporation of Robert's music, I'm wondering if she had a prescient moment of what might be in store for Pattinson after the release, or if she simply wanted his voice heard in a way outside the film. In an article I located on blogcritics.org, the writer reviews the soundtrack to this movie saying, "the only song on the soundtrack of note is Robert Pattinson's, "Never Think"". His song, "I'll Be Your Lover" would have fit into the melancholy "Twilight" vibe very easily as well as would some of his other tunes I've heard.

What I absolutely love about Pattinson's vocals, his natural emotive styling. Certainly he could not be accused of having technically one of the best voices out there, no glory notes out of this guy. Instead Pattinson carries a soulful, sexually charged growl that verges on Tom Waits add Foy Vance, mix in a bit of Ben Harper that I find completely compelling. I haven't come across a new musical interest able to devour my mind like Pattinson has in such a long time, and that's with only a small number of tunes available on-line.

Interesting news, the "Twilight" soundtrack was giving Kelly Clarkson with her number one standing new album as well as U2's new album, "No Line on the Horizon" a run on the Neilson Soundscan charts. "Twilight", at one point had shot up to number 3 with 74,000 in sales, Kelly Clarkson's All I Ever Wanted, showed 90,000, U2's No Line on the Horizon at 76,000. Now those numbers could of course, be in part owing to the tens of thousands of avid "Twilight" tweenies who love the movie, but music critics are also giving Pattinson credit for his artfully performed songs.

From a profile article:
Pattinson's Film Roles

Robert has starred in several movies made for television including The Bad Mothers Handbook, Ring of the Nibleungs and The Haunted Airman. The role of Edward Cullen in "Twilight" was Pattinson's first lead movie role, however "Little Ashes", which is to be released in 2009 see him playing a young Salvador Dali. The film focuses on the relationship between Pattinson's character and poet Federico Garcia Lorca played by Javier Beltran. Pattinson was also awarded the Best Actor 2008 award at the Strasbourg Film Festival for his role as Art in the new film, How to Be. Pattinson will reprise his role as Edward Cullen in the saga's third installment Eclipse.

Pattinson's Musical Background

Taking on the role of Edward Cullen in Twilight also gave Robert Pattinson the chance to include some of his own music compositions on the soundtrack. Robert plays both the piano and guitar and also composes his own music. Pattinson is quoted as saying, "Music is my back-up plan if acting fails."

"Never Think" Rob Pattinson

"I'll Be Your Lover" - "I Was Broken" Robert Pattinson


You can order Robert's music from the film, "How to Be" from this site, Dreamboat Records. You can also visit Pattinson's last.fm.