Kristen Stewart seems to feel the same way as we did about "Twilight".
When I was first introduced to Kristen Stewart, it was in one of the very first showings of the first “Twilight” movie. Admittedly, I had never heard of the apparently very popular novel by Stephanie Meyer. I had never heard of Kristen Stewart, and I had never heard of Robert Pattinson (though I realized halfway through the movie he was Cedric Diggory from “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”). I went into this movie not knowing anything, but my best friends, all teenage girls who had read the books from cover to cover a dozen times a piece, were well informed, and devoted fans.
So maybe that’s why my middling reaction to the film was the polar opposite of their frenzied, hysterical ones. A lot of the times, big screen adaptations of popular novels are for the fans; anyone outside that core fan base will either love it or hate it. This film was poised to be Stewart’s and Pattinson’s big breakout moment, the film that launched them from the background to the forefront. And while the film spawned four sequels, and made tons of money, it sort of destroyed their careers as serious actors, with Stewart strangely getting a lot of the blame for the poor quality of these films.
Sure, her acting was wooden, and far from anything her previous work suggested she was capable of, but just about everyone in these films was hardly a Leonardo DiCaprio or Meryl Streep. But the internet took a certain liking to beating up on Stewart for being less than her best in these films. She became a pariah. The only cast member that benefitted from the exposure of being involved in these films was Anna Kendrick, who played a supporting role as the best friend of Stewart’s character. She went on to be Oscar nominated, and now headlines her own film franchise with the much more positively received “Pitch Perfect”.
Attempts at breaking free of the negative reputation these films had given her proved futile. She once again drew in big bucks with “Snow White and the Huntsman”, but she was lampooned for her lifeless performance, which I believe (much like “Twilight”) is the fault of poor writing and editing. Pattinson too has had trouble finding footing as a leading man, but the general public has never turned their backs on hi in the way they did with Stewart.
The most interesting thing about Stewart, is that her critics never base their criticism on her indie work, which is where she got her start. Of course, these are performances in films few have seen, but work that deserves to be seen nonetheless. Her performances in “Into the Wild”, “The Runaways” and “On the Road” are all wildly different and full of an energy that is lacking from her big budget work. Before she entered the world of glittering vampires and creepy werewolves, she delivered one of the best performances by a young actor/actress in the adaptation of the hit novel “Speak” by Laurie Halse.
Stewart's work in "On the Road" suggested there's a fiery intensity hiding behind her dialed down public persona.
Since the end of the “Twilight” film franchise, Stewart has kept a low profile, and who could blame her? The industry basically turned their backs on her after she was wrongfully blamed for not only the poor quality of a film franchise, but there was also that nasty affair with her then married “Snow White” director Rupert Sanders. But when it was announced that Stewart’s project with French auteur Olivier Assayas and acting legend Juliette Binoche was being screened at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, people took notice, and the result was far different than anyone could have ever imagined.
Holding your own against a veteran like Binoche is a feat in and of itself, but to be able to steal the film away from her is something else entirely. Few expected that actress to be Stewart, but that’s just what she does in Assayas’ “Clouds of Sils Maria”. Stewart plays Valentine, the personal assistant to Binoche’s aging actress character, Maria, who is coming to terms with her career changing as she ages. The film is as strong as it is because of the immense chemistry between Binoche and Stewart, but the way Stewart naturalistically plays Valentine is the real treat. In a sense, she seems to be playing herself, but it’s a quietly commanding, and entertaining performance, one full of life and energy.
Stewart as she appears in "Clouds of Sils Maria"
Critics went wild for Stewart, with many hailing it as the best performance of her career. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph wrote that, “Stewart really shines as Valentine; it’s her best role to date: she’s sharp, subtle, knowable distant” while Peter Dubrage of Variety wrote that the performance would “surely usher in a new dawn” for her career. Just a few months ago, Stewart’s performance was awarded the prestigious César award (the French Oscar) for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first American actress, and second American actor overall, to win a César.
The film, distributed by IFC films here in America, was given a small release earlier this month. Coming off of their successful run with “Boyhood”, it’s hard not to imagine them giving Stewart a push for this year’s Oscars. Stewart received great notices for her other work last year alongside Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”, and for her leading role in “Camp X-Ray”. This would definitely be a performance the critics would have to push, but it’s hard not to see it coming to fruition. And even if it doesn’t, there’s something else to celebrate: Kristen Stewart seems to be excited about acting again. She’s taking chances, and working with some interesting people.
Winning a César is not something many actors can boast about; the history making achievement is something she should definitely be proud of. But more than that, this is only going to (hopefully) open more doors for her as a serious actress, and give us more of these incredible performances she has delivered time and time again, despite a few missteps along the way. I’m willing to look past the frustratingly underwritten Bella Swan of “Twilight” if it means I get to see more Valentines, or Joan Jetts (“The Runaways”) or Marylous (“On the Road”). I’m more interested in seeing those shades of this still very young actress, and I’m so excited that we are potentially in a spot where we’re going to see them more consistently. And you should be too.
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