Cinequest brings international films to San Jose: 'How To Be'

By Aitor Zabalegui

'How To Be'

If you have a hard time finding the appeal in "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson, "How To Be" will leave you all the more mystified.

In this film, Pattinson plays an outwardly-depressed Brit named Art who claims to be suffering from a quarter-life crisis.

His girlfriend, once entranced by his brooding mystique, soon finds him simply sallow and unhappy, and she leaves him.

His parents, embarrassed that they raised such a waste of a person, are distant and disinterested in his attempts to connect with them.

Art decides to seek guidance and advice from a Canadian self-help author, played by Powell Jones, who he pays to come live with him.

The movie revolves around Art's dependence on the author to solve his problems, which he eventually learns all stem from his poor outlook on life.

Art is obnoxiously miserable, in the same way that makes people roll their eyes when they hear the term "existentialist."

Typically, if an actor can inspire his audience to detest him like this, it is a testament to his skills in the art of acting. But Pattinson's decrepit performance in this film is more of a lengthy tantrum than a display of talent.

He has the same facial expression through the entire movie -- he always looks like he is going to cry.

The only comic relief comes from Jones, who naturally turns out to be a distraught soul himself, when he suddenly appears from off-camera to wryly interject in an ongoing argument.

This joke soon runs dry, however, to the point where the audience is not surprised when he pops up in a stall in the women's bathroom.

The film also seems to resolve itself without explanation, with Art deciding to suddenly give life another shot and his parents figuring out that they actually love him. It's a refreshing mood shift, but I think you'll only love this movie if you happen to love "Twilight" or Pattinson.

Contact Aitor Zabalegui at (408) 551-1918 or azabalegui@scu.edu.