Film Cosmopolis

[P A]

So has anyone seen it yet? It's just hit (a small selection of) theaters in the DC/Metro area, but it's been playing in Canada for months as far as I'm aware. I'm currently reading the book, and really looking forward to seeing it this Sunday.

Here's a brief summary from the Wikipedia article:

Billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) rides slowly across Manhattan in his limousine that he uses as his office while on his way to his preferred barber, even though there are traffic jams. The traffic jams are caused by a visit of the president of the United States and by the funeral of Eric's favorite musician, whose music he plays in one of his two private elevators. He has recently married. In the car and elsewhere, he has meetings with his wife, who does not want sex with him, to save energy that she needs for her work. Instead, he has sex with other women. In his car, while having a meeting, he has his doctor carry out his daily medical checkup; Eric worries about the doctor's finding that he has an asymmetrical prostate. After devastating currency speculation, he kills his bodyguard and follows a path of further self-destruction, including visiting his potential murderer and deliberately shooting himself in the hand.

Based on Don DeLillo's novel of the same name, this is director David Cronenberg's latest film, and his first since 2007's Eastern Promises and 2011's A Dangerous Method. So what did you think?

 

[P A]

I just finished the book, and, having read a few critical reviews of the film (mixed, to be sure), it seems to me that Cronenberg was attempting nothing short of seamless transposition of the text to the silver screen. Like the much-maligned narrative style and characters of DeLillo's novel, Cronenberg's direction and script are characteristically lofty and ice-cold from start to finish - like American Psycho with a brain and no teeth. That said, I had no problem whatsoever with the book's style, pacing, characters, and artistic intent (which I like to think that I've comprehended on some level, and which was probably misunderstood by the reviewers that described it as 'self-indulgent' and 'unoriginal'), and thoroughly enjoyed reading it as much as I look forward to seeing the film.

 

[jpgrdnr]

I've never read the book, but as its Cronenberg I'm going to watch it. He does not disappoint to shock and head-screw you the whole way thru. The script is a hum-dinger as is almost overly complex where the characters have too much to say. And is it meaningful? And you have characters questioning their meaning and what they say every step of the way as some sort of post-modern overanalysis where its so intense and dense everything becomes new again while at the same being banal and slow. Pattinson is great in this and I've never really watched anything he's been in but its proof that he is a great actor.

And I don't know what more to say about it really. Samantha Morton in this is drool worthy (for me).

Its like a throwback to the olden days of film where you say to someone, "I dunno man, just...watch it." Its either something you completely get and understand (?) or pull a jock and be like "whatever, man...that was a waste of money."

It ain't no fucking Michael Bay movie thats for damn sure.


!!!! You get the sense that Cronenberg is literally fucking with the teenage girls that have clitoral boners for Pattinson. In that vapid wasteland of soap opera vampires he's injecting 16 year old girls who get caught in the fact that it stars that guy with high grade plutonium intellectualism. Its literally a shock he's being that overt. The only reason I say this is the Metric song at the end which they also did a song for Twilight.

 

[P A]

Bizarre. Often cringe-worthy. Flawlessly directed, cast, etc. A movie this stilted and incongruous is atypical even for Cronenberg. I despised A History of Violence. I loved Eastern Promises. A Dangerous Method and this one are somewhere in between.

And I don't know what more to say about it really. Samantha Morton in this is drool worthy (for me).

+1. Also Sarah Gadon.