The acting effort Robert Pattinson calls flawless: “I’ve never seen a performance like it”
One might have thought that the early part of Robert Pattinson‘s career would have meant that he was destined to only star in teen and children’s movies. Coming through with performances in the likes of Harry Potter and the Twilight movies, Pattinson later extended his acting talents to an impressive variety of productions,
A role in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis was followed by further work with acclaimed directors, including Claire Denis in High Life, the Safdie brothers in Good Time and Robert Eggers in The Lighthouse. Throw into the mix roles in Tenet for Christopher Nolan and The Batman for Matt Reeves, and it’s clear to see that Pattinson has more than succeeded in his early expectations.
As every actor should, Pattinson is always keeping an eye out for the performances that can inspire him to further greatness, whether in movies new or old. When naming his five favourite movies of all time in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, the actor spoke passionately about the performances of his fellow actors that have impressed him the most.
After discussing Jack Nicholson’s turn in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Linda Blair’s in The Exorcist and Chris Kattan’s in Corky Romano, Pattinson turned his attention to an effort by Danny Huston, son of director John Huston and half-brother of Angelica Huston, known for his performances in Birth, The Constant Gardener, Children of Men and The Aviator.
However, it’s a film from the beginning of the 21st century that Huston starred in and has captured Pattison’s attention the most. “A film called ivansxtc,” the actor said. “It’s a Danny Huston film. That’s what I’ve been watching obsessively recently. It’s amazing; Danny Huston should have gotten nominated for an Oscar for it.”
Co-written by Bernard Rose and Lisa Enos and directed by Rose, ivansxtc also stars Peter Weller, James Merendino and Rose and Enos’ real-life CAA agent, Adam Krentzman. Taking place in Los Angeles, the film focuses on a Hollywood agent played by Huston, who is tasked with going through the highs and lows of his everyday life amid his agency’s biggest deal shortly after a cancer diagnosis.
Rose and Enos loosely based the film on Leo Tolstoy’s 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich whilst also having one eye on the story of talent agent Jay Molony. A handful of small awards came the way of ivansxtc, including an Independent Film Festival of Boston award for Rose in the ‘Narrative’ category. It was a film, though, that absolutely captured the attention of Robert Pattinson.
“It’s about an agent in Hollywood, and it’s kind of a dumb movie before Huston comes in, and then literally is the best example of one performance elevating a movie,” Pattinson explained. According to the actor, ivansxtc was “all improvised and shot entirely on digital video and seemed lost for words as to how to express his admiration for Huston’s performance.
Stumbling across his words, Pattinson noted, “Just having him there, he’s literally this — I don’t know, I can’t even describe it. I’ve never seen a performance like it. He’s flawless. And if you’ve ever met an agent, ever…” Evidently, the effort that Huston gave in the 2000 independent drama is one that Pattinson can never erase from his memory, even if he can’t find the words to do it justice.
Check out the trailer for ivansxtc below.