12. Cosmopolis
A few eyebrows were certainly raised when it emerged that Cronenberg was casting Twilight star and teenage heartthrob Robert Pattinson in his film Cosmopolis. He certainly didn't have the pedigree of a Mortenson, an Irons, a Fiennes, or a Walken. Yet it is probably Pattinson's performance that makes Cosmopolis such an interesting film, and prevents it from falling into the same stale emotionless state of M. Butterfly. Travelling around the city in a limo, Pattinson's Eric Packer is emotionally empty. He is cut off from the world, and seems to lack any real emotional response to anyone that he meets. In what amounts to a series of seemingly unconnected and often quite abstract set pieces, the viewer is treated to an incredibly restrained performance from an actor far more famous for melodramatic portrayals. On paper, Cosmopolis should be one of Cronenberg's more difficult films. It definitely runs the risk of favouring style and hyper-vivid coloration over substance. It is utterly unconventional in narrative. It doesn't have any crazy body horror sequences. It goes out of its way to be as soulless as possible. However, Pattinson does just enough to make the character - and the film - compelling, making this a strong entry into Cronenberg's filmography.