Writer/director Sophie Barthes crafts this metaphysical tragicomedy, which straddles the line between reality and fantasy, set in a world where souls are extracted from humans and traded as commodites. Paul Giamatti is an anxious New Yorker who finds the answer to his deep-rooted malaise after stumbling upon an article about a high-tech company that claims to have found a solution to human suffering. By deep-freezing souls, claims the company, they can give their customers a life free from fear,
doubt, and worry. Eager to free himself from the emotional burden of angst, Giamatti eagerly enlists their services. Trouble arises, however, when Giamatti's soul is swiped by a soul-trafficking "mule" who in turn gives it to a no-talent Russian soap opera actress. Now, in order to get back the soul that is rightfully his, Giamatti must make the arduous trip to St. Petersburg, along the way discovering that the true key to happiness isn't the absence of pain, but the ability to experience the entire spectrum of emotion and cherish the things that really matter. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
These are all very surreal, inventive ideas, heightened by the dreamlike cinematography from Barthes' partner, Andrij Parekh; the scenes shot in St. Petersburg, for example, are simultaneously gauzy and bleak.
Giamatti stammers and futzes and self-loathes with the best of 'em, and his endearing persona and droopy-dog face can move the film along even when the narrative can't.
These pitch-perfect moments, as well as Giamatti's performance as an artist driven to a personal and creative brink, make Cold Souls, if not always coherent, at least compelling.
Barthes' execution is flat, philosophically empty and mostly boring. But you can't call it soulless (no, not even when it's a zinger of a pun to finish the review with).
If you could buy Cold Souls in flatpack form from IKEA, when you laid out all the parts on the living room floor they'd look a lot like the components for a Charlie Kaufman movie.
There's added appeal thanks to Barthes' silly but fun film via the outstanding cinematography by her collaborator, Andrij Parekh, whose arty lighting and careful framing make the film a visual treat.
Barthes' first film indicates a fearless, imaginative writer/director with a great deal more to offer audiences with her future projects; if Cold Souls isn't always easy to warm to, it certainly lights the fire of a talent worth watching.
I love the bizarreness of the premise about a man who feels so heavy by the weight of his soul he puts it into cold storage, and although Cold Souls doesn't quite gel in the final analysis, there is much about this dream-inspired film that is wonderful
Cold Souls is odd and gloomy but the deadpan comedy and introspective musings are engaging and Giamatti's tour de force is worth the price of admission.
Fun one time through. I feel like they could have done more with it (too bad it wasn't written by Charlie Kaufman).
January 6, 2011
Curtis Lilly
Super Reviewer
A good movie with good performances by Paul Giamatti (always dependable), David Strathairn, and Emily Watson. I liked the idea of the film, but it becomes kind of a Charlie Kaufman rip off after awhile. Well made and written, but comes off as just "meh" by the end.
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