Robert Pattinson has had plenty of great roles, but I’m not sure he’s ever been this exquisite. He plays a narcissist, and his attention to detail is haunting. Alone, he stares into a mirror, and there he practices being a person. Then he steps out, flips on the charm, and becomes whatever the room needs. The switch is so smooth it’s unsettling.
The movie never lets you mistake that charm for kindness. None of it is for anyone else’s good. It’s all about making himself more important to everyone around him. The most fascinating part for me was watching him get quietly intimidated by people with a greatness he can’t fake. That insecurity leaks through the polish.
The rest of the film mostly keeps pace. The shot work is great, the pacing is solid, and the premise is fantastic, giving him plenty of room to work.
Then comes the ending. It’s messier than everything before it, and I think that’s the point. As his world unravels, the film unravels with it. I get the idea. I just think there was a cleaner way to show that collapse without tossing out the control that made the first stretch so good. The movie loses its grip right when it wants you to watch him lose his, and the two blur together.
It also leans artsy, so skip it if you want an easy, switch-your-brain-off night.
If the trailer grabbed you, wait for the rental, but don’t miss it. Pattinson is doing some of the best work of his career.
