Anton Corbijn talks about LIFE and Robert Pattinson: "He works very hard to be valued as an actor"

Anton Corbijn talks about LIFE and Robert Pattinson: "He works very hard to be valued as an actor"



Excerpt from The Playlist:

I believe you said you’d make three films and then evaluate from there, and “Life” is your fourth film. Yeah and for the first three films I made a book about the films because I also [thought they were] going to be my last films. It’s just snapshots with some lighting. But for the fourth film I decided not to do it anymore, so I don’t feel it’s my last film. 

That’s interesting there’s no book, just because “Life” has a photography component, with Dennis Stock.I know, and it’s always in the back of your mind because you have the camera ready if there’s a picture I can take anywhere. But you should actually concentrate on other things. And with “Life,” we shot it in the winter in New York and Toronto, and it was the worst winter in 30 years. I have very low blood pressure so I can’t touch these things. 

In “Life,” Dane DeHaan will be playing James Dean. How difficult was it to cast someone in that role?It was difficult. Also I think for the actors it’s very difficult to step in his shoes. But Dane DeHaan plays it well. He’s a tremendous actor. I don’t think he wanted to do it initially. He wouldn’t take a meeting with me because he didn’t want to be persuaded. But luckily he came to me and he was persuaded. He’s amazing. 

He’s great in “Kill Your Darlings.”Yeah, and “Place Beyond the Pines.” I haven’t seen “Spider-Man [2].” “Lawless” I have seen. And he’s in “Devil’s Knot” and “Life After Beth.” I haven’t seen that. I was in Sundance but I didn’t manage to see a single film. 

What about Robert Pattinson’s work in the movie?Rob and Dan very different kind of actors. They’re very, very different kind of people in the film, so it was fantastic. They were so different naturally. For Rob to play a photographer is quite interesting because he’s being chased by photographers all the time. Rob is of course a film star, but he likes to be seen as an actor, so he works very hard to be an actor and be valued as an actor. And in the film he plays this photographer who wants to be seen as a great photographer. So I think there’s a parallel there that’s helpful. 

He’s made a lot of interesting acting choices, “Cosmopolis”…...Yeah, “The Rover.” I hear that “Map to the Stars” is a really great film. I am looking forward to seeing it. 

I was hoping to see “Life” announced as part of the TIFF 2014 lineup. Yeah, I was hoping that too, but we are too far from finishing, because we finished [shooting] in late October. 

Will we see it at on the fall festival circuit anywhere?I reckon it will be 2015.

I'm so so so looking forward to this film in 2015. SO looking forward.