Drew's

Date Reviewed	9/25/2009
Title	Cold Souls
Rating
Directed By :	Sophie Barthes
Starring :	Paul Giamatti, Dina Korzun, David Straithairn, Emily Watson, Katheryn Winnick, Lauren Ambrose and Boris Kievsky
Review	Created in the mold of a Charlie Kaufman type of screenplay, “Cold Souls” offers one of the more original and curious films of 2009. Paul Giamatti stars as himself. He’s not feeling like his usual self during rehearsals for a Chekov play. He learns about a company that can remove your soul or replace it with a different soul. This company provokes his interest as he yearns for a change to assist his performance along with an internal metaphorical weight lifted. This concept reminds me of David Fincher’s “The Game” with Sean Penn and Michael Douglas. Someone has to be able to provide the unbelievable product. It has a mood of “Being John Malkovich” since Giamatti is playing himself and he goes to a location to find out more about this mysterious company’s offer. Most of us guess on the true definition of a soul and its purpose. This is the part the audience is asked to accept in order to move forward with the story. They are requesting its viewers to maintain belief that this procedure can actually occur successfully. David Straithairn has the role of Dr. Flintstein. He’s the white collar used salesman version of a soul seller. You could tell he is not only eager to extend a sale but certainly excited to add an American actor to their customer files. I feel Paul’s character shouldn’t have been married in the film. Emily Watson plays his wife as Claire. His wife is real life is Elizabeth. A single man would likely have more torture, loneliness and pain regarding the soul than a married man with riches residing in a warm dwelling. Just a little odd to me! Once the second act begins when Paul decides he wants to travel abroad in an attempt to retrieve his lost, misplaced or stolen soul, the picture becomes more intriguing. The movie’s tone is developed through oddball humor. To label this as strictly a comedy is pigeon holing a multiple genre crossing flick. Watching Paul Giamatti is worth the ticket. His physical appearance relates to almost anyone and his energy inside his talent calls for the spotlight. Quirky typically resembles something unlike the common mainstream features released. It’s a fascinating concept for the soul to be perceived as a tangible object. The philosophical debates will be stimulated since the material causes each ticket buyer to expand their imagination. “Cold Souls” will fall into that category where it’s most rewarding after the film than during its run time. Don’t get me wrong, “Cold Souls” is a unique subject for the diverse movie fan. Drew's Reviews, copyright 2009, Drewsmoviereviews.com, property of Drew Bean.