
robert pattinson is earning rave reviews for his intense and electrifying performance in a24’s crime thriller, “good time.” under the helm of directors and brothers josh and benny safdie, the “twilight” star hides his dashing good looks to portray a grimy, bleached blond, goatee-sporting, crook from queens, new york, who embarks on a mission to bail his mentally impaired brother (played by co-director benny) out of prison after a failed robbery attempt. while taking on the demanding role, pattinson said the experience has helped him mature into a commanding actor.









“i think i’m more confident now; this was a challenging role and i learned a lot about my abilities as an actor,” pattinson told variety at the film’s new york premiere on tuesday evening, held at the school of visual arts theatre. “every single time i get to do another movie, i get a little more confident. you always want to grow in some way and challenge yourself. i feel like this one has helped me become a better actor.”









critics have no doubt that pattinson has developed into a masterful dramatic actor. he and the “good time” creators received a rousing six-minute standing ovation at the cannes film festival last may where the movie first screened for an audience. the picture — out in theaters on friday — currently holds a 94% positive rating on rotten tomatoes.









robert pattinson on shedding his movie star looks for cannes drama ‘good time’









“the writing in this — the dialogue felt so real and different,” explained the 31-year-old british star on the red carpet. “it’s set in new york and i’ve been here in new york a million times, but it just felt alien to me. there was something different and original about the characters and the story. i immediately knew the world of the performance that i wanted to do and i knew the energy i wanted when i saw josh and benny’s work. this was special.”









now that pattinson has received acclaim for his work in indie films and broken any preconceptions about his acting abilities, would he consider taking on another role in a tentpole franchise series like “twilight” or stick to art house films?









“i look across the board every day,” he said emphatically. “the only thing i do is read script after script waiting for something to hit me. i like stories that feel authentic and it’s just difficult to find. there are a lot of scripts that feel like the writer read a newspaper article and then tried to use their knowledge from film schools to adapt it. that doesn’t interest me. once i find something and feel really obsessed with it, i feel like i can really connect with the character and bring them to life.”









after the screening, pattinson joined the film’s directors, producers, co-star barkhad abdi (“captain phillips”), and composer daniel lopatin at the flash factory nightclub for the after-party. guests enjoyed celebratory drinks and white castle burgers, which are featured in the film. demi moore, chloe sevigny, and peter sarsgaard were among the guests that joined in the festivities.