Julian RuncanCold Souls: Original and Warm
April 15th 2010 23:44
Cold Souls is quick to capture an audience, drawing the viewer in with that quirky charm typically reserved for movies written by Charlie Kaufman. The film is carried by Paul Giamatti's performance, but falls short of true greatness because of the significantly weaker second half.
Giamatti literally plays himself, currently struggling with a difficult role and at least a little bit of depression. In desperation, he resorts to putting his soul in cold storage, hoping that a soulless state will lessen his anxiety about the role. His performance is excellent, although it would have felt much more genuine if he was able to use the type of blue language he pulls off so well. What the movie fails to do is create enough sympathy for Dina Korzun's character, making the second half of the film drag more than it should.
The concept is well executed, and Cold Souls avoids the plague that befalls many of these sorts of movies: falling in love with its own eccentricity. The humor is similarly subtle, and placed appropriately to help move along the slower parts of the film.
If you enjoy movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich, or just enjoy Paul Giamatti's acting, the movie is well worth checking out. Minor blemishes aside, the film deserves much more recognition than it received, and is certainly worth a recommendation
7.5/10
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