Is your soul getting in the way of you achieving true happiness? Is it affecting your performance at work? If so why not have it removed, it's then one less thing to worry about. That's the premise for Cold Souls a existential comedy starring Paul Giamatti.
Giamati plays a fictionalized version of himself. He's rehearsing for a theater run of Uncle Vanya and it's not going well. He just feels like something is weighing him down. He sees an ad to have your soul removed and stored and decides to check it out. With his soul extracted he becomes a horrible actor and attempts to have it reinstalled. This proves more problematic than it should be and away we go.
First time writer/directer Sophie Barthes lifts a page from the Charlie Kaufman playbook and does a fine job balancing weird existential comedy, some slapstick and manages to make a statement about commercialism in the process. Giamatti is one of my favorite actors and he does not disappoint. His simple facial expressions left me chuckling constantly and he plays exasperated as well as any actor working today. David Strathairn is great in a supporting role as the head of the soul removal company as well.
It's not all fantastic, whenever Giamatti isn't on screen the movie drags. Also the ending, while fitting with the tone of the movie, felt tacked on and rushed to me. The movie looks really good for a low budget affair, it portrays a very dreamlike atmosphere that really helps to set the overall tone.
I enjoyed Cold Souls quite a bit but it's probably not for everyone. It's weird and deliberately paced but Giamatti's performance is worth watching in itself and the rest of the movie is interesting if nothing else.
Rating:
3.5/5
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