In the grand tradition of fair isle and pale ale, the handsome and famous British actor, Robert Pattinson, became enamored with the beautiful American actress, Zoë Kravitz, while filming the movie, The Bronze in Toronto, Canada. The two had actually first met a few years earlier while filming the movie, The Great Gatsby, in which Pattinson plays the part of Nick, the wealthy heir of a great American tobacco fortune. (Fans of the book and film will recognize many locations and famous faces.)
Although the two have been dating for a while, it was only during the filming of The Bronze that they decided to make it official; announcing their engagement, and eventual marriage, in April 2019. Since then, they have been making headlines for all the ‘right’ reasons. For those who are fans of the talented and beautiful couple, it has been an eventful, if sometimes bittersweet, journey so far. For those who are simply fans of Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, perhaps it has been an unexpected journey, but one that has been just as exciting as audiences could have hoped for.
Zoë Kravitz & Robert Pattinson: An Insta-Famous, Yet Understated, Love Story
The story of this famous celebrity couple is as fascinating as they are talented. The two met while filming The Great Gatsby in 2013, and have kept the public’s interest ever since. Fans of the British actor will remember him from his breakout role as the teenage vampire, Christian, in the 2014 psychological horror movie, The Vampire Year, or the titular character’s son in the 2017 sequel, The Vampire Show. They made their official debut as a couple in April 2019, and since then have been making headlines almost daily. From attending the opening of JK Rowling’s Wizarding World in Orlando, Florida, to visiting Thailand for an adventurous vacation, the couple’s Instagram Stories are filled with picturesque snapshots of their luxurious, yet carefree, lifestyle.
The British actor has kept fans abreast of his relationship with the American actress via his Instagram account, @robertpattinson, where he frequently shares pictures of his adoring fiancee. “So proud of you my beautiful friend,” he wrote upon learning that she had been accepted into the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles.
While their celebrity may come as no surprise, the reality is that this has been a long time in the making. The pair first became engaged while filming The Great Gatsby in 2013, with insiders revealing at the time that they had initially planned to wed in 2014. The actor has also been connected to several other gorgeous women, including a one-year-long marriage to model, FKA Twigs, in 2017. (In 2018 he was seen with actress, Livia, though it was not made public at the time.) In stark contrast, the 43-year-old Russell Brand-produced documentary, RBG, which premiered last week at the Sundance Film Festival, focuses on the relationship between Supreme Court judge, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and her feminist, and Supreme Court ally, lawyer, husband, Marty Ginsburg. (Brand recently released a book, How to Choose a Hair Stylist, in which he profusely discusses the many roles that his wife, Marty, played in their relationship, and in her professional life.)
‘The Bronze’
Although ‘The Bronze’ has not yet been released in theaters, it has been highly anticipated by fans of the British actor. The movie sees him play an arms dealer who sells advanced weaponry to various Middle Eastern countries. In the process of acquiring these weapons for his rich and powerful clients, the character, Simon Hunt, becomes entangled in a web of violence and revenge. At one point, Simon discovers that one of his weapons has been stolen from his truck, and tracks the alleged thief, Arshad (played by the Iranian actor, Arash Markazi), to a hotel in Dubai where he is staying. Enter Zoë Kravitz as Lisa, a Canadian attorney who is also staying at the hotel. The two initially meet in a Dubai restaurant, shortly after Simon discovers that Arshad is hiding in the hotel. Excited about the possible case, Simon calls his assistant, Theo, to tell him about his new lead. Theo then calls his best friend, Eddie (played by the English actor, Eddie Redmayne), to tell him about the case, and Eddie calls his lawyer, Lisa. The ensuing discussion is what ultimately leads to the formation of a lawyer-client relationship, and provides the movie with its comedic elements.
While ‘The Bronze’ is a fictional account of the events that transpire, it draws from countless real-life legal cases related to the international arms trade. One such case was that of Gucci Liu vs. the United Kingdom, which was lodged in the European Court of Human Rights in 2014. The case was brought by Liu, a businesswoman who was detained in London for three months in 2014, and interrogated by the British Security Services (BSS) regarding her involvement in the delivery of a fake Gucci handbag. The BSS suspected that the luxury goods company had hired her to transport them, to avoid the UK’s strict import laws, regarding imitation goods. (Gucci was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, and the case was settled out of court in 2017.)
‘The Rising’: An Ode to Romantic Suspense
The second installment in the ‘The Rising’ franchise, titled, The Rising: Love Is Coming, (the first part, The Rising: Fear Is Coming, was released in cinemas in January 2020) sees its titular character, Jordan, a successful real estate agent who found love and happiness with her husband, Mitch (played by Chris Pine), only to have it all threatened by a deadly virus. (The movie, like its predecessor, is set in Seattle.) In an effort to fight the virus, and save their city, Jordan and Mitch go on the run, with Jordan finding herself once again embroiled in dangerous and romantic situations.
The movie is a contemporary and romantic thriller that sees the leads, Chris Pine and Elizabeth Olsen, play Jordan’s married but unhappy co-workers, Roy and Dawn. One day, while hiking, Roy and Dawn meet and befriend Jordan and Mitch. The five become friends, and subsequently, lovers. While on the run from the virus, and before they meet Roy and Dawn, Jordan and Mitch discover that they are both immune to the virus. (This phenomenon is known as ‘supernatural immunity,’ and is often conferred upon those who have had the good fortune to be born into a familial lineage that confers immunity upon those who are born into the lineage. This is the case for the Pincheras, a family of werewolves who are able to change form and blend into the shadows, and thus evade capture.)
The movie makes significant inroads into its subject matter, delving into some very deep and dark areas of the human psyche, and the fragility of love and marriage in the face of even the most unlikely and sinister threats. One such threat is that of the undead, and the zombie apocalypse that can ensue when a virus turns those who are bitten into mindless, and somewhat dangerous, zombies. (The term ‘zombie apocalypse’ was first coined during the height of the AIDS pandemic, when it became clear that a combination of fear and ignorance regarding the disease, coupled with Hollywood’s eagerness to exploit this social issue for financial and critical capital, would result in a boom of zombie-related movies and TV shows.)
The movie also delves into the subject of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), exploring how the disorder can take hold of a person, and how it manifests in the individual’s behavior. (OCD is frequently confused with ADHD, though they are two very distinct neurological disorders. People with OCD usually exhibit an obsession with cleaning and orderliness, which can extend to almost any area of their lives. The disorder can also manifest in extreme shyness or hesitation, which can cause those who have it to be constantly under stress due to social anxiety. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) officially diagnosed 1 in 40 Americans (2.4%) with OCD in 2019.)