The Artistic Chemistry of Robert Pattinson and Claire Denis
The first image of Claire Denis’s new film, High Life, is an arresting one: a baby, seemingly abandoned on a spaceship. Eventually, her cries are soothed over a loudspeaker by the only other living being on board, a wiry convict named Monte (Robert Pattinson). Together, Monte and the baby make for an unusual pair, and their dynamic throughout the movie is loaded with a sense of danger that gives way to a touching, if strange, emotional intimacy.
Tension mixed with pathos—there might be no better way to describe the films of Denis, and her relationship with Pattinson, one of the biggest stars the legendary French director has ever worked with.
feels like a remarkable step forward for both of them. Denis is a brilliant but unsparing artist whose greatest works (including , , and ) have wrestled with colonialism, fraught romances, and male cruelty. is a significant departure for her in terms of its scope: It’s the first project she’s filmed on soundstages, rather than in real locations. It’s also her first sci-fi film and her first that’s entirely in English. Meanwhile, Pattinson has moved on from his time as a tabloid-dominating teen idol best known for the franchise. He has since sought out roles in art films and collaborated with), the Safdie brothers (), and David Cronenberg ( and ). Some of Pattinson’s upcoming projects include films with Robert Eggers, Ciro Guerra, and Christopher Nolan.
