What is it about Robert Pattinson that makes him slightly annoying? Despite his 18-carat movie-star status built on his vampire role in the "Twilight" series, despite the rumor that he's slated as the next Brad Pitt (er, really?) and has the lanky, boyish charm to back it up, Pattinson remains several notches below Total Heartthrob status.
My guess is that this brooding lad fairly oozes with first-world angst (relationship problems, identity problems, anger at the high price of organic chicken, etc.), which, at this point in history, kind of tests your patience. I mean, what's he got to complain about?
So "Water for Elephants comes as a surprise, because Pattinson in the lead role is, to put it bluntly, excellent. Director Francis Lawrence ("I am Legend") deploys Pattinson's particular privileged-but-unhappy aura to full advantage, and the movie reaps heaps of benefits from his skittishness, his subtle note of unreliability and that calculated lopsided grin. Plus, he takes a punch in the face, which is more than a little gratifying to witness. Win-win, all round.
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