Now, it seems like a long time ago when some reduced Robert Pattinson, for simplicity and irony, to the role of a lovelorn vampire in the Twilight saga.

Since then, the actor has shown enough that he is equally at home in a tailored blockbuster like Batman, as well as independent but no less demanding productions like James Gray’s excellent The Lost City of Z, David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, or even Robert Eggers’ very surprising Lighthouse.

In 2020, Pattinson was one of the leads in a film that impressed Denis Villeneuve so much that the director of Dune and Blade Runner 2049 went to the cinema to see her several times: Tenet.

A sci-fi spy thriller in which John David Washington, aka “The Protagonist,” is recruited to stop the villainous Kenneth Branagh. Neil, played by Pattinson, helps him in the task.

Based on time travel, which uses the scientific concept of entropy, Christopher Nolan develops the concept of inversion, which he already experienced during his very notable Memento.

If the film was generally well received by critics, the context of its theatrical release, in the midst of a pandemic, greatly hampered its career at the box office, collecting “only” $365 million, or 32% less than Dunkirk, Nolan’s film. previous movie.

“Seeing a master at work is a true source of inspiration”

In the podcast called The Reelblend PodcastOrganized by the Cinemablend site for Dune’s American release, Denis Villeneuve was full of praise for Tenet.

“I was blown away by Tenet, I think it’s a masterpiece. This movie is a great cinematic achievement. It’s a very difficult movie that I really enjoyed watching.” He commented.

“I’ve seen it so many times, it’s been a walk every time, and I don’t think anyone can claim Christopher Nolan’s level of skill. He’s one of the best directors out there today, but people don’t understand the details. His level of skill. It’s crazy.”

Sharing a love of the big screen with Nolan, Villeneuve also strongly criticized, like his colleague, Warner’s decision to release films simultaneously on the HBO Max channel and in theaters.

“Every time Chris releases a movie on the big screen, I have to see it. . Of course I saw Tenet in the cinema. You can’t watch Nolan’s movie at home, it makes absolutely no sense. You have to immerse yourself in Nolan’s film on the big screen first to fully appreciate it.

It’s really fascinating how he evolves from one film to the next, always pushing the boundaries, technically, narratively, and always managing to reinvent himself. Seeing the master at work is a real source of inspiration for me.”