Werner Herzog, James Gray, David Cronenberg, Anton Corbijn, Harmony Korine and many other modern auteurs have figured it out: if you want to get your indie film financed, you could do a hell of a lot worse not hiring former “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson. Once a heartthrob, Pattinson has more than proven himself a fine actor. Improving film by film, Pattinson is seemingly everywhere in the indie world these days and is even becoming a mainstay on the film festival circuit (see the Safdie Brothers’ “Good Time” playing in competition at Cannes this year).
READ MORE: First Trailer For ‘Good Time’ Starring Robert Pattinson Unleashes One Night Of Madness
The actor, with the help of Martin Scorsese, is getting Joanna Hogg’s (“Archipelago”) next film “The Souvenir” made. Pattinson, Tom Burke, Ariane Labed and Richard Ayoade are all set to star. Martin Scorsese will executive-produce — the director who recently lent his name to Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire,” seems to be offering his imprimatur in a kind of patron form of helping smaller indies off the ground.
Described as a romantic mystery,“The Souvenir” spans the decade of the 1980s and charts the story of a young film student involved in her first serious love affair. She then tries to disentangle fact from fiction in a relationship with a complicated and untrustworthy man.
Pattinson is in the lead role and Burke from “Only God Forgives” plays the man we shouldn’t trust. A female lead has yet to be cast but ScreenDaily reports that a newcomer is expected.
“A singular voice is important.” Scorsese said to the European trade. “Much of that is coming out of England. I’ve always been very influenced by British films. I find that so many interesting filmmakers are working at a low production scale there. That gives you freedom. But you still need money and support to help develop the artist. The important thing is to continue to support the individual voice. That’s one of the reasons I like to speak up for that work.”
Scorsese, like Pattinson, or even Netflix helping challenging, artful and thoughtful films reach the screen? Bring it on.