Alternate Best Actor 2022: Robert Pattinson in The Batman

Robert Pattinson did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Bruce Wayne/the titular character of The Batman. 

The Batman, while a bit too long and has a slightly wonky climax, is largely a breath of fresh air within the comic book genre, by crafting a genuine mystery by fusing Batman with a healthy dose of Seven and more than a dash of High and Low. 

Robert Pattinson joins the ever-growing list of live-action Batman actors. Although there have been many Batmen, in the live-action one has left the legacy as the definitive Batman, leaving really every actor as having less the challenge of living up to a prior performance, and more so a "let's see what they do with it" type of approach. Robert Pattinson's casting was initially met with a bit of ire by people who haven't seen The Lighthouse or Good Time, questioning his skills as a performer, however anyone with a bit more knowledge of his filmography was probably looking forward to seeing what he could do with the role, you can count myself as part of that number. Although not the first Batman to depict himself as starting out the character in a short amount of time, as obviously, Christian Bale's turn Batman Begins was all about that, that version sought a somewhat more realistically inclined notion of where Pattinson is coming from it in a more comic book stylized world, though still tempered within a kind of noir realism. I guess the first place to begin, as is the case in most versions, is the voice, which has often been a potent of contention, particularly with Christian Bale's craggy and much-maligned Batman voice. Something that might've informed the choice to make the Batffleck version have an electronically warped voice as part of the character. Pattinson doesn't take that easy way out and seeks his own voice with the character. And for me a great choice in that it is a cold, direct, and harsh voice. Intimidating but without forcing the intimidation. You believe him when he says "I'm vengeance" in his opening beatdown, but he also convinces you that this is just naturally his voice as Batman. Pattinson successfully achieves the Conroy effect where there is such an ease in the separation that both voices that you don't exactly notice it, it just simply is Batman's voice as opposed to Bruce Wayne's voice. I'll admit I didn't even pick up on it entirely during the first, or second viewing, it took the third viewing where there's a specific scene where he does his Bruce voice in The Batman suit, well trying to warn Alfred of an upcoming attack, that Pattinson's doing quite a different voice as Batman than as Bruce Wayne the billionaire. He's so good though that it just feels naturally the truth for both halves of the character. 

Pattinson's excellence in realizing Batman as a figure though continues in every respect. He certainly delivers the imposing physicality needed for the role, however even this he delivers a specific choice where he's more so at times this walking fortress of a man, part of the intimidation seeming to be that so little can stop him. He is convincing in every physical moment of the work, and that is once again a natural given within his performance. Where I think he takes off from all other Batman performances in Live Action, and technically I'll say even in animation since the character literally lacks pupils there, is in the use of his eyes. Pattinson never stops acting because his face is largely covered up rather it is impressive how much he is able to convey with just his eyes. Take really just the way his Batman observes one of the crime scenes or is trying to figure out a Riddler puzzle. Pattinson brings in these moments an observational quality so subtly just as he is able to see this "force" he keeps very much the sense of the detective as well. Pattinson never just kind of is in a scene standing around as Batman he is consistently far more active as such, whether it be that moment or the intensity in his eyes in the chase scene, or the very genuine fear we see as he is about to attempt to glide from the top of Gotham's police department. Pattinson doesn't simplify any aspect of the idea of being Batman, managing to do it in a way that provides nuance for us the audience to more clearly empathize with what is going through, while still establishing that essential mystique needed to be Batman. 

The most frequent criticism I saw against Pattinson's portrayal was his depiction of the Bruce Wayne side of things with the character, which really there are two Bruce Waynes he depicts. The rare public Bruce Wayne, and Bruce as he's working as Batman at home. The latter Pattinson, much like Kevin Conroy, makes more so an extension of the reality of who Bruce is deep down. That voice is closer to who he is as the real Bruce who is determined to fight crime and in this instance figure out what is behind all of Riddler's murders and the conspiracy the murders are uncovering in Gotham. Pattinson's depiction of this side of Bruce is that of conviction to the point of obsession. He doesn't present him as insane, however, he does show this narrow focus on the man as we see everything he believes in is going into being this force for vengeance. The public Wayne though is different right down to the voice, which received some criticism because Pattinson is not an overtly charming Bruce Wayne like previous Waynes. This is silly for a few reasons, one being that one would imagine that you'd want a different portrayal from previous versions, the bigger reason why though is this version of Bruce Wayne quite clearly barely puts an effort into even pretending to be the billionaire "prince of Gotham". Pattinson presents him as an emotional man of no particular importance in this version and in some ways someone just hiding away with his money and his grief. Playing it partially as this is who he is, but also as a man, no one would pay any particular mind to. Pattinson in this specific approach is effective in crafting an alternative Wayne befitting someone who is starting out as a man, as Bruce Wayne in public and as Batman. There's a great contrasting bit of acting by Pattinson where Bruce asks about his dad's potential culpability with the conspiracy. When first asking the crime boss Falcone (John Turturro) Pattinson plays it as more vulnerable at the moment however a bit more false of the overtness of that vulnerability as the lost kid. Compare that to when he asks Alfred (Andy Serkis) when Pattinson still is vulnerable, however, it is more controlled and more befitting of who Bruce is as a trained crime fighter with a steel mind. In both Pattinson plays parts of the emotion as genuine, however, manages to show one side as more open yet slightly false, the other as more closed yet entirely true. Pattison excels in showing the duality of the character even as Wayne. 

What I think is most remarkable, and I think makes Pattinson a particularly compelling Batman, is that throughout this film he is not just this singular presence in the film. Pattinson's Batman changes, and this is where really the setup aspects of his work, his voice and particularly his eyes, add so much to his work. Take even the romantic moments with thief/Catwoman Selena (Zoe Kravitz), who he uses initially as a spy in the criminal underworld, Pattinson technically doesn't say a single romantic thing in the entirety of his pseudo-relationship. Yet these moments seem natural between them because in just Pattinson's eyes there is just enough of an openness towards her that doesn't make it a hollow gesture when she does kiss him. The more substantial aspect is in his work where there is the striking sense of emotional empathy that again is only in his eyes that Pattinson brings and just enough in his voice. At the moment when Batman prevents her from killing Falcone, her father/her mother's murderer, his response to her "he has to pay" reminding her that she doesn't need to suffer in this way for his crimes, has a quiet yet potent heart to it. There's a care and Pattinson is able to bring it out through his voice, which again is natural, and we see this Batman as genuinely trying to help her seek justice rather than revenge at this point of the story. Remembering his eyes though, take the scene where Batman visits Riddler in Arkham Asylum to discover the truth. Pattinson is brilliant in this scene because, in the presence of The Riddler, he is that force, however, Pattinson with such subtle nuance shows us what Bruce is thinking of every step of the way. The quiet horror of realizing he inspired Riddler of course, but the standout moment is when Riddler repeatedly mentions Bruce Wayne as the missing victim of his. Pattinson shows what great acting is as just in his eyes and only in his eyes, you see initially the surprise that he's holding in to see if he's been found out, then the slow realization that Riddler doesn't know after all adjusting to seeing the insanity of the man. Again amazing because Pattinson shows that a mask doesn't need to be a handicap in the performance, you still absolutely sense what Batman is going through, even though he never loses still that power as presence as Batman. Pattinson is able to make changes as we see through the film that growth from the direct intensity of the early scene, even the blithe disregard for some of Riddler's victims, towards that sense of empathy that is subtle, yet potent. This is to the point that he earns that change of character, largely through his performance, as he becomes the Dark Knight as a guardian of the city rather than just punishing criminals. The key moment of comforting an innocent victim as they are airlifted, is that empathy is all in, again, the eyes and is wholly convincing in creating that change. This is the greatest performance of a live action Batman, that I wouldn't call definitive only because Pattinson makes it so much his own while still respecting the character. It is absolutely fantastic work that makes Batman a wholly dynamic character, and I can't wait to see what else Pattinson will do with him.