Many people know the actor Robert Pattinson as the rebellious and dashing Cedric Diggory from the Harry Potter films. But did you know he’s also one of the most photogenic actors of our time? Don’t believe us? Check out this gallery of his greatest moments on screen. We’re not talking about the movies here — although some are exceptional — we’re talking about the moments that made us fall in love with Robert Pattinson all over again.
The year 2013 has been an incredible one for Robert Pattinson, both on and off screen. Not only has he appeared in numerous films this year, but fans have also gotten to see him perform live a number of times. Now that 2014 is almost over, it’s time to look back and see what was the best of what Robert Pattinson had to offer in 2013. We’ve compiled a list of ten moments that we think defined the former Harry Potter star in 2013.
10. The Revenant
Speaking of Harry Potter, it’s been a while since we’ve seen the boy wizard. But it didn’t take Robert Pattinson long to pull us back into the fantasy world of Harry Potter when he played the part of a very young Albus Dumbledore in director Alejandro Iñárritu’s The Revenant. While we’d seen the great British wizarding world in films before (e.g., the much-loved Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone), this was the first time we got to dive into it headfirst. And boy, were we not disappointed. This was a movie that just wouldn’t work without Harry Potter. After watching this, it’s no wonder why director Iñárritu decided to call this one of his ‘childhood movies.’
The Revenant is a first-person survival story that follows protagonist Hugh Glass (R.Pattinson) as he travels across the American wilderness in search of food and water; he stumbles across a fur trapper named Jaques (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his daughter, Eve (Shirley Henderson), who he saves after she is threatened by a group of Apache warriors (Mark Ruffalo). The entire scene below is worth an Oscar just for the cinematography alone:
Of course, there’re a lot more to this movie than just the stunning visuals. The Revenant is a harrowing portrayal of human nature in the wilderness and the lengths one will go to for survival. While some may find the film gruesome at times, it’s truly an incredible achievement. Plus, it’s full of beautiful landscapes and shots of rugged mountains that are enough reason in themselves to watch this incredible movie.
9. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead, the hit show based on the video game of the same name that was also made into a film, has been a staple of our screens for a number of years now. But it wasn’t until the end of 2013 that we really began to see the full potential of the show. In the show’s eighth and final season, protagonist Rick Grimes (Glenn Close) and his group of survivors have to figure out a way to navigate a post-apocalyptic world where almost all of humanity has perished. For much of the season, Rick has been the commanding figurehead of the group, but recently he’s been sidelined by the other survivors as he tries to let them grow their own legs. In a way, this makes Rick’s story the perfect microcosm of the genre, post-apocalyptic fiction – the man of the group has to learn to let go and trust the others as the ‘family’ that he’s built up over the years fray and come undone.
At the start of The Walking Dead, AMC had little idea of what they’d get with Glenn Close, but boy did they get a good one. As soon as we saw her character’s battered face, we knew exactly what kind of performance we were going to get. It was clear from the very first moment that Glenn Close was going to be bringing her A-game to this role, and then some. We were completely captivated by her intensity, her fear, and most of all, her resolve. She flawlessly embodied the weary protector of her son, Andrew (Kirk Acevedo), as he grew up in front of our eyes. This was a performance for the ages, one that will go down in history as one of the greatest horror movie heroines of all time. And then there was that last, incredible shot as Rick watches his friends die one by one… What’s not to love?
8. The Amazing Spiderman 2
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Oscar season if we didn’t mention Spiderman. Despite being a superhero film, The Amazing Spiderman 2 doesn’t disappoint when it comes to visuals. It also features a large ensemble cast, including Emma Stone as Felicia Hardy. Felicia is the clever daughter of the brilliant but twisted inventor, Harry Osborn (Jamie Foxx). Soon after the events of the first film, Norman Osborn (Shane Black) becomes the new mayor of New York and enforces a law that imposes a 10 p.m. curfew on all citizens. This is when we meet Felicia, who is plotting to steal the Spiderman formula and use it to become the greatest Spiderwoman that ever lived. Much like Spiderman himself, Felicia is an amazing creature of skill and grace, a gorgeous woman with a fantastic sense of fashion and high-tech gadgets.
While the first film was largely about building up to a massive battle between Spiderman and the Green Goblin, the sequel is more of a ‘crimefighter’ film. Director Marc Webb and his team of filmmakers have taken a more light-hearted approach in this regard, a welcome change of pace for a film series that has become rather dark over the years. This allowed them to indulge in some beautiful, high-energy action sequences as well as some humorous comedic moments. We must admit that despite being a little curious about how this version of Spiderman would turn out, we were not disappointed. It’s a credit to Webb and his team of filmmakers that they were able to humanize and relativize the character of Spiderman in a way that made us root for him again. Perhaps in a similar fashion to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s ‘Fourth Reich’ – who knows? – we may now have our own version of ‘The Goblin’.
7. Snow White And The Huntsman
One of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood couldn’t be excluded from this list, as the year was filled with incredible performances from the once-in-a-lifetime-redhead. The year 2013 was marked by a transformation for Ms. Ellis as she starred in a string of amazing movies, beginning with director Rupert Sanders’s Snow White And The Huntsman. In this English-language remake of the German film, Snow White (Ellis), an unruly, temperamental teen, challenges the patriarchal society of the dwarves (played by Eric Lindelof, Christopher Lambert, Richard Madden, and Sam Claflin) who live in the forest. Ellis plays a strong and independent woman who doesn’t need a man to survive; she’s also the kind of woman who would never do anything to hurt her companions, even when they try to enslave her. She even goes so far as to protect the dwarves’ guild from being slaughtered by the kingdom’s guards. But in another twist, the dwarves themselves turn out to be the bad guys, plotting to use their newfound power to take over the kingdom. The entire plot sounds absolutely ridiculous, but Ellis carries the film. Much like with Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Ellis completely inhabits her character, displaying an incredible physical resemblance to Snow White that cannot be denied.
While Snow White And The Huntsman is often labeled a ‘horror’ movie, it is, in fact, an incredibly campy and fun retelling of the classic Snow White story. While there are a number of dark undertones and some pretty intense scenes, it is ultimately an entertaining film that maintains a childlike wonder. It’s a pity that Disney didn’t give it a bigger push at the box office, as it could have done so well.
6. Gravity
We’re not exactly sure what possessed director Alfonso Cuaron to take on such a unique and risky project as Gravity. The director had previously made outstanding documentaries and was no stranger to ambitious undertakings. But this was clearly something else. Gravity is a stunning achievement, an intricate and detailed work that seamlessly weaves an intimate story of the last three days in the life of a space station. The film follows the events of the ‘Challenger’ space shuttle explosion, and the fate of those aboard the doomed spacecraft as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere and breaks apart. It is a story of humanity’s collective struggle to retain its freedom of space travel as well as the emotional and physical toll that the journey takes on its passengers.