Robert Pattinson & Claire Denis Discuss ‘High Life’ Casting, Space Films, And Working With Babies [NYFF]

Robert Pattinson has been thrilling audiences and critics alike with his unpredictable film choices. His last film, the Safdie Brothers’ excellent “Good Time,” was a hit with critics and really cemented Pattinson as an indie film staple and an actor who is a force to be reckoned with. Claire Denis, who really needs no introduction, is a fiery, impossibly-talented filmmaking genius, with her projects consistently seen as modern cinematic masterpieces, namely her pivotal films “Beau Travail” and “White Material.” This new partnership between Pattinson and Denis has yielded ripe fruit with their project, space jail odyssey “High Life.”

READ MORE: ‘High Life’: Claire Denis Makes Strange, Scary, Kinky Sci-Fi With Robert Pattinson [TIFF Review]

With “High Life,” Denis embarks on two firsts in her long career, the first being the Robert Pattinson film is her first English language work to date, and the second being this is her first interstellar drama — one that, not surprisingly, has won rave reviews so far.  When asked why she decided to make a film rooted in the expanse of space, Denis explained in a Q&A at the New York Film Festival, “People ask me if this is science fiction, I don’t really know. I am not a scientist but to me, the character interactions were more important than the space issue.”  

Denis also explained why she didn’t do the film in French, saying, “For me, it had to be in English because they don’t speak French in space! It’s only English or Russian!”

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The filmmaker goes on to discuss her time at the Human Space Center, “where real astronauts train” to learn more about the environment of space as well as the technology used to get there. “Even the computers look like the ’80s and I asked why.  They said still today there is no better way. So I thought, this is great!” This ’80s aesthetic had a very apparent hold on the film and really contributed to the underlying tone.

Denis describes the characters in the film, which are comprised of a group of criminals. “[‘High Life’] shows that they are not warriors, that they are not conquerors and they weren’t looking for the conquest of space… I can’t stand that,” she muttered, visibly annoyed.

READ MORE: Claire Denis Explains Failed Relationship With Zadie Smith On ‘High Life’: “There Was Not One Word We Could Share”

The casting process had its issues, just like any film does and Denis had fleeting concerns when it came to her leading man.  The funny thing is, however, that delays with the film gave her more time to digest and reflect on Pattinson’s casting. “It’s horrible to say,” Denis shared, “but he was right from the minute I met him.” In concept, Denis originally had a different idea for her main character at the end of the film, but in time she thought otherwise. “Robert was bringing something [to the role] that I had not expected but I was a little afraid of, I think. I was not afraid of his youth. I was afraid that maybe he was too good looking – too precious for me in a way. I had to not be afraid of his charisma.” 

Interestingly, Patricia Arquette was tied to play a pivotal role in the film but Denis explains that she had been attached to the film for almost two years.  “The days were no longer good for her,” she said. Denis was in Cannes for a different film “Let the Sunshine In,” in 2017. “Juliette said in a nice way, ‘Why not me?’ and I knew the producers would be happy but I was afraid to do two films in a row with her. I wanted her to be different so I gave her long flowing hair, things like that,” she explains.,

Robert Pattinson, on the other hand, has been dying to work with Denis. “I saw ‘White Material’ in 2010 or 2011,” he said, “then I just kind of chased her down… it took 3 years of chasing her I think.”  The duo look at each other fondly and Pattinson continues, “I think about four years ago we finally got together in Paris.”

READ MORE: ‘High Life’ Filmmaker Claire Denis Discusses Robert Pattinson, Harvey Weinstein, & Female Filmmaker Inclusivity

He, like Arquette, was attached to the film for years, but during the time the film was in development he spent time getting to know Denis and admits that he found her “inspiring.” Asked how he prepared for the role of Monte in “High Life,” he replied, “It’s not a literal interpretation … I just tried to get myself sucked into this world.” He recalled that he and Binoche went to a museum and admired one sculpture in particular. One that he says provided a lot of inspiration for the film and Denis was totally on board with it. “It’s almost ridiculous,” Pattinson said with a chuckle, “that you can show a director an abstract picture of a sculpture that has nothing to do with the film and she’s like ‘yes!’”

Pattinson shares most the film with his pint-sized costar Scarlett Lindsay. On working with little Scarlett, Pattinson called her a “tiny font of inspiration.” They surely lucked out casting her because they had their share of difficult children through the casting process. “One baby literally would not stop screaming any time I held her,” he said as the audience laughed. Denis rejected the idea of twin babies which is a common casting practice in films saying that “at the end of the day they aren’t the same .. they are different and I didn’t want that.”

The film is loaded with surprises, both remarkable and unique. While we would love to share them here, we will let you go see this remarkable film and decide for yourself.

“High Life” has been picked up for distribution by A24 but a specific release date has not been revealed yet. Spring 2019 seems like a good bet.