When you are playing the role of a depressed lonesome and confused character in a dark Indie comedy, as an actor you should strive to be as realistically as lost as Luke Wilson in The Royal Tennabaums , Kieran Caulkin in Igby Goes Down and Paul Dano in Little Miss Sunshine. Robert Pattinson succeeded in this competition in playing the role of Arthur (nickname - Art) in the film How To Be.
How To Be is a film about finding yourself, tackling the things that make you different, developing a comfort zone and believing that you are not crazy for wanting attention and happiness in places where you feel it is absent. The movie follows the life of Arthur (Pattinson) who struggles for self-esteem after loosing his girlfriend, gets fired at his job as a volunteer and is constantly put down by his parents. In effort to get on a road to recovery, Arthur purchases a book by a Canadian author Dr. Levi Ellington. Arthur sends a letter with a check enclosed to Dr. Levi Ellington seeking his help and attention. Dr. Levi Ellington comes to meet Arthur and moves into his parents house with him, in order to find the route of Arthur's problems. The relationship between Arthur and Dr. Levi becomes rather awkard, as Dr. Levi takes on the role of Arthur's life coach, giving him the supposed steps one needs to take to be productive in finding happiness.
They say misery loves company, so it is no wonder that Arthur (Pattinson) finds comfort in his friend and bandmate Ronny - a nitrous addict, Daddy's boy, hypochondriac who never leaves his flat. Just like Arthur, Ronny has some instabilities in his life that he too needs to conquer. Ronny offers the most hilarious (lol) words of wisdom, while high on nitrous he explains to Arthur that therapy is an invention therefor it does not exist. Ronny is played by the actor Johnny White who will certainly get recognized now that he has played an incredible supporting role alongside Robert Pattinson.
Arthur's other friend and bandmate named Nikki believes he has the key to Arthur's happiness, so he takes Arthur out for the day to help him obtain whatever it is he was looking for. Nikki's character in How To Be reminded me a lot of Simon in the movie GO. Arthur was not easily impressed by the strippers or the drug habbits of Nikki, but Arthur still took a liking to his presence.
Arthur, Ronny and Nikki built a co-dependant relationship on one another to find a positive outlet in which they could make music and succeed in each discovering happiness. How To Be is not really a movie about friendship or bros, but the movie depicts how the roles people play in your life inherently effect your own personal being. The music in the film was not exactly amazing listening music, but it was well composed with each scene, as it largely contributed to the viewers connection with the plot. The movie opens up with Arthur performing a song called 'Choking On Dust' - sort of sounding like a song Phoebe would sing in Friends. The film closes with a grand finale performance called 'Doin' Fine' - which by the name of the song you can tell is a little more positive and happy-ever-after like.
Twilighters will go crazy over one of the closing scenes when Arthur stares himself in the mirror backstage encouraging himself to put on an awesome performance with his band. Arthur raises his eyebrows, blows into his harmonica and tells himself "he deserves this just as much as anyone else does".
Although Robert Pattinson is certainly no heart throbbing vampire in How To Be, putting looks aside he put on an excellent performance as Arthur the pathologically, ever-so-eager to be depressed, awkard singer/songwritter whom just wanted a little more in life then he was experiencing.
Check out this gallery of Robert Pattinson from the film How To Be. If the First Glance Film Festival is not coming through your hometown, then figure out how you are going to get to see How To Be, because it is certainly worth it.
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