If you thought that the Twilight saga was over, then think again. The franchise did not die with the twilight of the light years, it continued. We now have Queen of the Desert, a film based on the real-life story of Englishwoman Joy Stoller and her epic journey across the Australian Outback in a Land Rover. Robert Pattinson plays the role of Joy’s husband Charlie, an intrepid and eccentric adventurer who is determined to make his wife’s dream of driving across the country a reality. Along the way, they will encounter many challenges and make several unexpected friends. While the film does not offer anything new in terms of storytelling, it is still an entertaining film to watch due to the outstanding performances of its lead characters.
Joy Stoller: A Woman of Many Faces
One of the main characters in Queen of the Desert is Joy Stoller. Much like Arpels’ Elle, Joy is a self-made woman who rose to fame by setting up a public relations company in London and then moving to work for British Gas. She also founded the Stoller Education Trust, which funds educational projects in developing countries. Joy is a strong, determined and resourceful woman who believes in making the most of her God-given talents. She is also a loving wife and mother who is extremely passionate about education. This is most notably seen in the opening sequence of the film, which shows her giving a TED Talk about her journey and the need to help educate girls in developing countries. She concludes the speech by saying that she hopes some of the money she raises will fund her travels to bring life to her ideas.
A Self-Made Woman
When Joy is not traveling the world, she is usually found working on her farm in Australia or indulging in one of her many hobbies. She is an accomplished horticulturalist who grew up wanting nothing more than to live a simple life in the countryside. Unfortunately, her dreams were somewhat quashed when her father was appointed the Dean of Olney School, which is a prestigious public school near London. Although Olney is a very good school, Joy’s childhood was spent longing for a simpler life. She made her first documentary about the educational system in Britain and then decided to make a documentary about her own parents’ school. This was the spark that inspired her to make the journey across Australia in order to bring education to the Australian Outback. In order to fund her travels, she sold her house and used the money to buy a one-way ticket to Australia. This was the beginning of an epic journey that lasted for almost three years and saw her drive across the country in a Land Rover, visiting every state and territory.
An Epic Journey Across Australia
Australia is the third-largest continent. It is a place ripe for adventure and exploration, particularly in the desert regions. While living in Alice Springs, the filming location for Queen of the Desert, Robert Pattinson would often visit nearby Uluru, which is known as the Aussie Aladdin’s Cave due to its elaborate cave paintings that were created by Indigenous Australians centuries ago. It was here that Pattinson decided to use his Hollywood status to bring attention to the plight of the Indigenous Australians. He has made many high-profile campaigns in support of Indigenous causes, especially in relation to supporting their cultural heritage and defending their land rights. One of the main reasons why so many people are campaigning for the #justsayno campaign is due to the lack of respect that is often shown towards Aboriginal people by those who use drugs. It is considered a very insensitive issue to mock or take the Lord’s name in vain, which is why so many people are calling for an end to this type of behavior. Pattinson has been a passionate advocate for the Indigenous cause and has been involved with many events and fundraisers in their support. He also began a foundation in Alice Springs in order to support Indigenous Australian artists and protect their cultural heritage. It is perhaps due to his involvement with the Indigenous cause that Queen of the Desert was selected as his next film project.
A Passion for the Outback
Although born and raised in London, Robert Pattinson did not immediately see himself as English. He attended boarding school in Australia and then briefly studied landscape architecture at Cambridge University. His passion for the Australian landscape is visible in every role he takes on. He made his directorial debut with the 2018 film Midnight Sun, which is set in Murrurundi, a small town in New South Wales. One of the main characters, Charlie, is an adventurer who drives across Australia in a Land Rover in search of inspiration. Another movie that he directed was Badlands, which is about American writer William Holden’s journey to Australia in search of adventure. The movie was based on the author’s own experiences as a young man. His love for the Australian bush is also shown in the 2017 movie Walk of Life, where he plays a professional killer who returns to his home country for revenge after being accused of a crime he did not commit. In Queen of the Desert, we see an extension of this passion as Joy drives across the country in search of an education for her girls. As well as being the director of these films, Pattinson also wrote scripts for all of them. He has stated that he wants to continue directing and has expressed his desire to make a movie about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Holmes is perhaps one of the most famous fictional detectives of all time, but it is not yet known which part of his adventures Pattinson will choose to depict. It is an ambitious project, but one that would certainly suit his talents. It would also provide more scope for him to explore the Australian landscape than he has yet done on film. What a perfect way to finish off this article, with Sherlock Holmes set to make his debut in the next film!