The latest edition of TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, wrapped up earlier this month but the festivities don’t have to end there. The Toronto Film Festival is one of the biggest film festivals in the world and it regularly features many A-List celebrities. One of the most memorable appearances was back in 2005 when Robert Pattinson gave head to actress Zooey Deschanel in front of a live audience. Needless to say, that moment still remains one of the most memorable of all time. Since then, neither they nor the festival have rested on their laurels and things have gotten even more interesting. This year’s edition of the festival featured many intriguing choices but none more intriguing than the pairing of Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz.
Although the couple have been dating for several years, it wasn’t until recently that they publicly acknowledged their romance. Robert Pattinson, who was previously married to actresses Emily Browning and Vanessa Paradis, married the Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star in March 2018. As the star’s manager, Rob McQuarry said at the time, “The couple fell in love during the making of the movie and have been together ever since.”
When the news broke that Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz were set to appear at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the internet went into meltdown. The reaction was so strong that McQuarry had to issue a statement regarding the backlash: “Many people have been upset about the pairing but it’s important to keep in mind that this is a public figure and social media kudos are inevitable. Despite the negativity, we at Lifted Pictures are excited about the project. We believe there’s a real audience for this type of storyline and are confident that Robert and Zoë will give it their all. We’re looking forward to sharing the story of their courtship and the creative process that went into [their movie] with the world.”
While many were critical of Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz’s pairing, the movie itself was met with overwhelming positivity. In fact, the reaction to it was so good that it was able to secure several prominent film festival premiere dates, including at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. For those who are unfamiliar, Venice is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world and it regularly features world-class films. The Toronto International Film Festival is an exciting event as well but it’s less well-known than its more prestigious counterpart in Venice. Still, the Toronto Film Festival is one of the biggest and most reputable film festivals in the world, featuring many big-name stars and directors. The public still hasn’t gotten over the fact that Robert Pattinson gave head to Emily Deschanel 22 years ago and the media circus that ensued is still largely intact.
A Royal Encounter
While most of the attention surrounding the recently married pair has been focused on their personal lives, much has been made of their professional relationships as well. Not only has Robert Pattinson been named as one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, thanks to his numerous on-screen conquests, but it was also recently revealed that he is set to become an uncle several times over. Among the celebrities lined up to give him grandbabies are Victoria Beckham and Alexa Chung. Whether or not these celebrity baby announcements will actually happen is another matter entirely but it’s certainly an interesting fact about him.
As for Zoe Kravitz, her association with Robert Pattinson is even more surprising for a very public romance that they’ve had. Since their head-to-head moment in 2005, they’ve mostly kept their private life private but they’ve been linked to a number of onscreen collaborations. The most recent of these is Bad Apple, a comedy about a bunch of dysfunctional families coming together for the Thanksgiving holiday which they starred in together. The film was released this year and it was met with a generally positive response but many critics panned it for being too tame. Zoe Kravitz is also set to star in the big-budget adaptation of Lady Gaga’s The House Of Gucci, scheduled for release in 2021.
On-Screen Chemistry
It’s well-documented that there’s offscreen chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz and the evidence of this is on full display in the recently released Bad Apple. The comedy depicts a dysfunctional family coming together for the Thanksgiving holiday and it’s clear that there’s a lot of onscreen chemistry between the two actors as they play siblings who are barely on speaking terms with one another. When they’re not fighting, at least one of the siblings is usually cuddling with the other — even when they’re playing siblings they clearly have an affection for one another that is easily visible to the audience.
The most interesting dynamic in the film comes from the father figure played by Bill Murray. As patriarchs go, Murray’s character is surprisingly down to earth and he frequently reminds his children that they’re still young enough to have fun. The fact that they’re all adults trapped in a child’s body gives the movie a sense of humor, especially since the situation frequently ends up with the adults quipping to one another like children. This aspect of the film is more amusing than most of the jokes because it really does show how much these two actors enjoy performing together even though they’ve been acting professionally for years. They have such an easy chemistry that it’s like they’ve been doing this for all their lives. It doesn’t hurt that they’re both attractive, fit men as well.
The Making Of ‘Bad Apple’
The cast and crew of the 2018 comedy movie Bad Apple were clearly pleased to have Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz in the movie as they gave them numerous awards and accolades for their work. Director David Michôd spoke about their chemistry in the film and, while he wasn’t surprised by it, he also credited their acting experience:
“They have such a clear connection, an ease in their scenes together that I don’t think is faked at all. I think they have a real familiarity and comfort with each other’s rhythms and timing and that comes across easily in the scene where they’re arguing but they’re also simultaneously making out. That scene is pretty much the best scene in the film. That comes from a combination of their real-life chemistry as well as their acting experience.”
According to the director, their onscreen romance was mostly improvised by the two actors but there were a few scenes that they had previously filmed that they used in the film. The scene where they’re arguing, for example, was actually shot in a real-life altercation that they had while filming their previous movie, The Zookeeper, a few months earlier. Director Michôd said that he had to warn Robert Pattinson about going too far with the profanity in the scene because, even though it was supposed to be exaggerated, he still had to keep his jobs as a result of broadcasting regulations. A similar warning had to be given to Zoe Kravitz about using too many four-letter words, although she is a prolific tweeter, because she’s too popular to offend.
Ultimately, both of these actors came across as genuine and excited about the project which was made all the more palpable by their onscreen chemistry. As fascinating as they are, it’s important to remember that these are still very private individuals who do not like to give many interviews or discuss their personal lives in great detail. The fact that this is such a well-known romance story and they’ve been inundated with attention both positive and negative is certainly something to consider.