So the poor dude makes one movie that leaves all these American nerdy teen girls scream over because they’ve already wet their panties reading the Twilight series and now nobody can leave ‘Edward Cullen’ alone.

Pattinson is the most underrated actor in Hollywood and this English film, How To Be explains why. I know you’re reading this in disbelief (‘UNDERRATED?’) but it seems to me nobody really cares about his acting abilities and more about him looking *HAWT*.

Well, for me, How to Be dissolves all these presumptions about ‘RPatz’. Directed by Oliver Irving, How to Be tells the story of Art (played by Pattinson); a 20-something bumbling nervous wreck, who flips after breaking up with his girlfriend; the only real thing he had to validate his meaningless existence. On a whim he decides to move back in with his parents, who hate his guts (and are really annoying to watch). Art is a loner, with no real direction in life but his passion for music, which he sucks at, although he is aspiring to be a ‘singer/songwriter’.

Art strives throughout the film to become more “normal”- as a suggestion from his parents (who have been told him there was something wrong with him all his life, the nutters)- even going so far as using his entire uncle’s inheritance money to pay for a Canadian therapist to fly to England to help him do so. His two hilarious friends Nikki (Mike Pearce) and Ronny (Johnny White) help Art along the journey of self improvement, providing brilliant English comedic relief along the way.

Ultimately, the message at the end of the film is an epiphany: that the only personwho can make you happy is yourself. I think in a way it’s a message that every 20-something strives to achieve, and this makes How to Be so poignant.

Served up with classic English humour (which I love because it’s not that cheesy Hollywood crap!), this indie film is a gem. You can’t help feeling sorry for Art; his vulnerability and kind-heartedness is heartbreaking to watch and you can’t help but barrack for this underdog throughout the entire movie. You also completely forget about the *HAWT* RPATZ persona and struggle to grasp the fact that Robert Pattinson isn’t Art, and that’s what makes him such a good actor!

In a way, this film was similar to a lower budget, English version of Garden State. It wasn’t cheesy though. It’s funny, good-hearted and I’m extremely surprised that the premiere of this film in Australia won’t be until the 28th March. It will be playing selected cinemas, and hopefully if we will pester Dendy through (abusive? hmm) emails, maybe, just maybe you guys can see it too (legally)! But here’s a copy of the trailer in the mean time. Enjoy dudes/ dudetters. x.