Update: "The director of the movie is Paolo Sorrentino. In an
interview he said that for the rock star character played by Sean Penn, the inspiration was Robert Smith, leader of The Cure. "When he came to Rome, I went to see him in concert. Lipstick on the lips, punk hair, fifteen-year-old look and he is 50 years old instead. He doesn't have a cell phone, he doesn't drive a car, he has stopped the time to 1988." (Thanks fmjews)
From
The Daily Mail: "with his red lipstick and wild hair, Penn looked more like 51-year-old Cure frontman Robert Smith than a Hollywood actor as he filmed on location in Dublin's Mount Street."
Here's another photo, and
here's another.
(Thanks April, John and Kate)
From The Daily Mail: "with his red lipstick and wild hair, Penn looked more like 51-year-old Cure frontman Robert Smith than a Hollywood actor as he filmed on location in Dublin's Mount Street." Here's another photo, and here's another.
IMDB says that Sean Penn's current project is "This Must Be The Place". The description for that movie is "A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S." But it does not appear to be Robert Smith; the character's name is Cheyenne.
ReplyDeleteI know he isn't playing Robert, just that his look is being compared to RS.
ReplyDeleteTalking Heads reference as well?
ReplyDeletewhat in the holy hell? same outfit and all.
ReplyDeletewho should play robert if ever there were a biopic?
that's a helluva story right there. also, 3-D (future directors)!
Johnny Depp!!! He kinda sorta did it already as Edward!!!
ReplyDeleteLMAO!! I saw this on FB last night!
ReplyDeleteScary.. but somehow awesome.. o_O
The British among COF fans may concur that Mr Penn looks more like Birds of a Feather actress Leslie Joseph, than our dear Robert.
ReplyDelete..Or Jo Brand on the Slimfast diet
I saw a movie called THE INVISIBLE with Justin Chatwin, who I thought would be a good choice to play Mr. RSX.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435670/
Oh, about casting young (or not) Robert I suggest Tyler Patrick Jones, the former Ned of (hehe) Ghost Whisperer.
ReplyDeleteAnd I sort of liked the plot of the film - even though it looks like a fan fiction with Robert as the front character!
Lots of internet chatter on this one!
ReplyDeleteHere's another photo:
http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/08/24/sean-penn-this-must-be-the-place-the-cure/
LOL! Well, Robert was definitely an inspiration for the role!
ReplyDeletehey hey hey listen... as young robert: robert pattinson, of course. no one else.
ReplyDeleteBut only if he sparkles. : P
ReplyDeletebahahha thank you for that Craig x]
ReplyDeletewho are the douchers voting for no new album or tour? why the #@*! are you even on cof?
ReplyDeleteThe director of the movie is Paolo Sorrentino (in my opinion the best young italian director). In an interview he said that for the rockstar character played by Sean Penn, the inspiration was Robert Smith, leader of The Cure. «When he has come to Rome, I have gone to see him in concert. Lipstick on the lips, hair punk, fifteen-year-old look and he is 50 years old instead. It doesn't have cellphone, it doesn't drive the car, he has stopped the time to 1988»
ReplyDeleteSo it's sure that the inspiration was Robert.
Here the link for the interview (in italian...): http://corrieredelmezzogiorno.corriere.it/napoli/notizie/spettacoli/2009/12-agosto-2009/paolo-sorrentino-racconta-di-colpo-restai-orfano-cosi-provai-fare-film--1601660100905.shtml
ehh... betcha robert both (a) has a cellphone and (b) drives a car.
ReplyDeleteof course robert has a cell phone and a car! do people think he rides around on a 19th century funeral carriage driven by a dude in a plague doctor's mask??
ReplyDeletespeaking of cell phones... do you think robert texts in all caps??
People didn't have cars in 1988...
ReplyDeleteonly speculation
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNot that i wasn't a bit annoyed when seeing those Penn's images (annoyed but also kind of glad and proud at the same time. italian artist with cure influence seems to be rare.)
ReplyDeletebut i don't think it is about speculation. Sorrentino grew up listening to The Cure so i think it's just his way of stating it and give a tribute to Robert. I happened to read his personal selection of favorite songs and Boys Don't Cry was in the list... he said: "Boys Don’t Cry’ influenced my first movie, the appointment with adolescence". I honestly wasn't surprised, as since the first interviews he did, listening to the things he said, i had the feeling he was a Cure fan. You can see it looking at his face in my opinion. He just have that "something" ... and i agree with fmjews, talented artist with a very deep and interesting personality.
*hi everyone!
"do people think he rides around on a 19th century funeral carriage driven by a dude in a plague doctor's mask??"
ReplyDeleteThanks for starting my day spitting my coffee on my keyboard. F'ing hilarious!
And, yes, I do.
Frankly, I find this pretty absurd. Now, who-ho, Sean Penn dressed up just like dozens of these embarrassing Robert-lookalike-fan-guys, in a film that has (thank god) nothing to do with the Cure. And that's supposed to be a tribute to Robert by the director? "A bored, retired rock star"? Lovely. (Apart from that what the guy said in that interview is pretty far out, as J. pointed out already.)
ReplyDeleteMaybe Robert should have his look protected by copyright to avoid something like this in the future :p Would also lead to more diverse looks in Cure-fan-crowds ;)
fifteen-year-old look? I think I've missed that.
ReplyDeletecome now, people. now is not the time to be outraged by the smallest infractions. let's pick our battles wisely. (like, let's say with the whole korn thing...)
ReplyDeleteCraig, I'd like to point out that the original lineup, if you count The Obelisk as an early incarnation of The Cure, included Marc Ceggano and Alan Hill, who never recorded with the band, and Michael Dempsey, who'd left around a year and a half before 'Faith' was released. It would be more accurate to say ""Faith"-era lineup".
ReplyDeleteOh, and Robert drives a Jeep. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteOh, and one more thing, directed to Sofia. Perhaps you should re-read the poll choices, and then apologize to everyone who said that they'd rather have a new album and tour, which doesn't exactly sound like a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteShawn: That's what I mean. The original Faith lineup, as Lol stated on the show. I think most people can grasp that concept.
ReplyDeleteIt really doesn't matter either way, as both seem very unlikely.
Assuming Porl's not in the band anymore, Faith line-up would just be Lol taking Jason's place on drums. ehh.. random thought. i think it would be cool though.
ReplyDeleteshawn, i said exactly the opposite, so i don't understand what you're talking about.
ReplyDeletewhile i'd love a new tour i don't particularly care to see a faith era lineup and taking all that time out would just delay album(s) and stuff(s).
unless it's a join the dots tour. they could delay anything for that.
Sofia, I reread your post, and point taken. However, the first option doesn't say anything about "no new album or tour". I fail to see how something like a mini-tour or one-off show would preclude a full tour to support a new album, one that we know that the band has already recorded, but Robert can't be bothered to release, for whatever reason.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Depp as R.S. sounds good-- though it will be very hard to match that unique accent. And Winona Ryder as Mary? With Tim Burton directing, of course!
ReplyDeleteSorry to sound stuffy guys but there would be hell to pay if Robert wasn't played by a Brit.
ReplyDeleteI'd say Aaron McCusker just because of the slight resemblance.
ROBERT PATTINSON!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI happened to be thumbing through the September 6 issue of People magazine, and under Star Tracks, there is picture of Sean Penn similar to the one posted here. The caption reads
ReplyDelete"All made up: Dublin, August 23: Sean Penn, who plays a retired rock star (and resembles one - Robert Smith from the Cure - inset) filming his new drama."
There is also a photo of Robert on the side. When the two photos are juxtaposed the resemblance isn't very striking. Robert looks much better, sorry to say.
I was pleasantly surprised to see this in People magazine, though, of all places!