Cannes Film Festival 2012: Robert Pattinson Vs. Kristen Stewart

The line-up for the 2012 Cannes Film Festival was announced today and as previously reported, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have films in the festival. The prestigious industry showcase will feature works from such top directors as Bernardo Bertolucci and Wes Anderson. Both Pattinson and Stewart's films, Cosmopolis and On the Road will be in competition during the Cannes Film festival. The films may allow the superstar couple (dubbed Robsten by gossip columns) to gain respect outside of the Twi-hard universe.

Robert Pattinson has struggled to prove himself as an actor after lackluster roles in such films as the 2010 circus drama Water for Elephants. Kristen Stewart has fared better. She garnered critical praise for her turn as Joan Jett in The Runaways and won the Best Actress award at the Milan Film Festival for her portrayal of a smart mouthed stripper in Welcome to the Rileys. Both stars seem to be making a considerable effort to break away from world of tween royalty and take on more precarious characters. In Pattinson's case, his next couple of films center on sexual exploitation. In Bel Ami, he stars as a seductive journalist who beds any woman that may aid his career. Cosmopolis is an even greater foray into sultry encounters. Pattinson's character is a married billionaire who, from the trailer, seems to like it when half naked women point guns at him.

Cosmopolis is directed by body horror auteur, David Cronenberg. The famed avant garde filmmaker insists that Pattinson has the acting skills to pull off such a complex role. He reveled:

He's a very serious actor. He wants to be great and takes the trouble to try and be great. What he does in [Cosmopolis] will lay that question to rest, which a lot of people who are skeptical of Twilight are asking.

For Stewart, On the Road recalls her pre-Twilight filmography. The actress began her career in indie dramas, such as Into the Wild, and seems to be maintaining a balance between smaller art films and blockbusters, such as the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman. On the Road, the classic beatnik tale, is a film that has been in development for decades. Stewart stars as a hard partying free spirit/teen bride. The inevitable buzz surrounding it assures that the film has a built in fanbase. Furthermore, having Stewart's name in the credits doesn't hurt. Those too young to understand Jack Kerouac's tremendous work may be drawn to the drama due to her involvement.

The film displays Stewart's knack for depicting off-beat young women with an edge. According to her costar Garrett Hedlund (Tron), audiences will gain a new perspective on the 22-year-olds talent:

Kristen is incredible, and in On the Road, everyone is going to get to see how hard a worker she is, the devotion that she puts into her work. And her performance is going to be exposed highly in this.

So whose film will be a greater success at the festival? That's for critics and industry professionals to decide next month when the famed showcase begins.