For almost a decade, Robert Pattinson’s life has been a mystery to the public. While many have speculated about his romantic relationships and possible marriage proposals, very little concrete evidence has ever been offered to support these theories. Now, fans of the “Twilight” series can get a much closer look at the life of this on-off relationship with the special one-night-only documentary “I’m Still Here,” which premieres on Netflix on November 22.
The Making Of ‘I’m Still Here’
Directed by David Modigliani and produced by J.C. Aguliar, the documentary sheds new light on the enigmatic star’s life by exploring the making of the film and providing never-before-seen exclusive interviews with a number of famous friends, family, and cast members.
The film opens with a voice-over by Robert Pattinson, who candidly discusses the events that shaped his life, including his father’s suicide and his struggles with addiction. Next, we watch video diaries that the 26-year-old actor kept during the making of the film, which reveal a tortured mind and a troubled soul. Many of these clips also foreshadowed the events of the 2016 movie “Birds of Prey,” one of the actor’s few recent creative ventures.
An Inside Look At The Romantic Life Of Robert Pattinson
The filmmakers follow Pattinson and his friends as they travel to New York City, London, and Los Angeles, where the actor was almost married multiple times. In an interview, Aguliar explains that the film is not just about the ups and downs of Robert Pattinson’s personal life but also about his professional career, which began to take off in 2008 when he appeared in James Bond franchise films.
“We tried to cover as much as possible, because a lot of people wondered about this part of his life,” Aguliar told Hollywood website TMZ. “We don’t want to make any judgment on what happened in his personal life, but we do want to cover the interesting things that happened in his professional career and the romantic life of Robert Pattinson.”
The romantic life of Robert Pattinson was particularly intriguing because of his well-documented history of on-off relationships and multiple proposals. One of the most famous episodes happened in 2012 when the actor proposed to his longtime girlfriend, the photographer Emily Brown. Brown reluctantly accepted and the two became engaged on Valentine’s Day 2014. However, they called off the engagement in May 2016 and both Pattinson and Brown have since maintained that they are simply friends.
An Exclusive Look At Pattinson’s Film Career
One of the first people Pattinson met while making “I’m Still Here” was the legendary Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan. The duo immediately bonded and became close friends, with Chan even appearing in a few episodes of the Netflix series. But their friendship really paid off when Chan helped secure the actor a role as Tiger Chen in the 2015 movie “The Monkey King,” in which the pair fought masterfully alongside Bruce Willis and Jet Li.
Pattinson had also previously worked with Willis on the 2008 movie “Death Defying Acts,” in which the star had a small role. So it was no surprise when Willis decided to include the actor in the next installment of his popular action franchise, choosing Pattinson to play a vital supporting role in “A Game Night.”
Since then, the English actor has appeared in multiple films, earning several awards and nominations along the way. In addition to his work in the “Twilight” series, Pattinson was also featured in the critically acclaimed “Lost City Prophets” and the heist movie “Bank Heist.” He may be best known, though, for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s “The Great Gatsby,” in which he portrayed Jay Gatsby.
Actors, Musicians, And Other Celebrities Take On Key Roles
While many may know the “Twilight” series for its central romantic storyline, the Netflix show is actually an intriguing look into the professional and personal lives of Bella and Edward Cullen. Though the duo never appeared in person, the series features cameos by several famous faces, including Tim Curry and David Hasselhoff. While playing Edward Cullen, Curry had a near-death experience that left him seriously ill and forced him to take a break from acting. The series also marks one of the few times when Taylor Lautner, whose character Jacob is a key figure in the “Twilight” saga, has been given a major role in an episode of a TV show.
While “I’m Still Here” does shed light on the intriguing life of Robert Pattinson, it also provides an insight into the making of a film, sharing the highs and lows of a chaotic time capsule of a project with the world. In an interview with the Independent, Aguliar discussed the challenges of putting this intimate project together as well as the invaluable help he received from the “Twilight” cast and crew, who he was grateful to call friends.
“I’m Still Here” is a one-of-a-kind look into the inner workings of one of the most fascinating film careers of this or any generation. While the making of the documentary is a candid look into the life of an often-troubled star, it is also an inside peek at the filmmaking process that exposed a multitude of challenges and adversities the cast and crew had to endure. For those who love “Twilight,” this film is essential viewing; for those who love to see celebrities exposed and to learn more about their personal lives, this film is essential viewing as well.