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Paul Giamatti, David Strathairn, Emily Watson, Dina Korzun, Katheryn Winnick ... see more see more... , Lauren Ambrose , Sergei Kolesnikov , Armand Schultz , Michael Tucker (I) , Ted Koch , Oksana Lada , Natalia Zvereva , Larisa Bell , Anna Dukova , Charles Techman , Laura Heisler , Brienin Bryant , Charlotte Mickie , Rebecca Brooksher , Henry Stram , Herb Foster , Boris Kievsky , Alex Adamov , Lisa Emery , Mimi Lieber , Yevgeniy Dekhtyar , Boris Leskin , Gregory Korostishevsky , Michael Aronov , Sasha Luzanov , Yuliya Yakovleva , Tatyana Eyorova , Svetlana Kireeva , David Spearman , Michael Stuhlbarg , Tom Stearns , Seth Austin , Max McGuire , Edward Thomas , Joseph Scott , Stella Stark , David Maynes , Dominique de Bourgknecht , Adrian Lallemand

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... read more read more.... 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

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49% liked it

28,300 ratings

Critics

74% liked it

118 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Sophie Barthes

Release Date: August 7, 2009

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DVD Release Date: March 2, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (1,076)

  • puffchunk
    January 6, 2011
    puffchunk
    Fun one time through. I feel like they could have done more with it (too bad it wasn't written by Charlie Kaufman).
  • tsigur
    December 18, 2010
    tsigur
    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.
  • RCCLBC
    July 29, 2010
    RCCLBC
    Lots of potential here as the premise is interesting and very ammusing. But sadly it fell short for me.

    It's along the same quirky lines as say Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind or Being John Malcovich, but with little of the heart or charm of either of those two films.
  • bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    June 30, 2010
    bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb1
    this movie is really wierd. it wasn't that funny either. it's a good movie, there just isn't anything special about it. B-
  • romy861
    May 1, 2010
    romy861
    Something about this movie really didn't work for me. Very interesting idea, kind of like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" , but not as engaging. Cast all very good, and funny in places too, but kind of left me... well... cold. Maybe that was the idea.
  • jlewis07
    March 31, 2010
    jlewis07
    An occasionally clever and funny comedy that has a great premise, but dodgy execution. I don't think the film had enough material for 90+ minutes. It drags at times when it's trying to wring drama out of the situation and the material that comes up later in the movie is more conv... read moreentional than I thought it would be. Paul Giamatti does a good job of playing a character based on himself and runs fearlessly through this crazy material while the rest of the cast is underused. Is Cold Souls a waste of time? Definitely not. It's unique and offers a few laughs, for what that is worth, but I can't quite recommend it completely.
  • neverteaseaweasel
    February 25, 2010
    neverteaseaweasel
    mmmm..... It seems like I'm rating this movie way to high, but that is only because I found it to be a bit boring and predictable. Still, it is a absolutely brilliant movie. The story is delightfully wacked-out and trippy. For a comedy, not only is it funny, but also incredible b... read moreleak and deadpan. Paul Giamatti and Emily Watson are two incredibly talented actors, and Cold Souls serves as a perfect reminder of that. There are some heavy echos of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but by and large the film seems incredibly original. Idk, while it is certainly a noteworthy movie, it just does not really live up to its potential. Still, it's more than worth a watching.
  • 366weirdmovies
    November 14, 2009
    366weirdmovies
    Paul Giamatti (playing the role of actor Paul Giamatti) feels burdened by his soul, so he decides to store it temporarily for a time; later, when he discovers he can no longer act, he tries to get it back but finds it had disappeared. Thoughtful and original premise, laugh out l... read moreoud funny at times, and Giamatti deserves an Oscar nom; just wish it had an ending.
  • flickfever
    September 7, 2009
    flickfever
    Cold Souls is a very polarizing picture. It definitely will not be for everybody and that should go without saying about most movies. The film starts off with an interesting premise: human souls can be removed from the body and stored away or sold/exchanged for other, better soul... read mores. The only problem is that this "premise" ends up being more of a gimmick. A trick to get you to watch, but fails to deliver its promise of quirkiness, charm or even intelligence.

    Once the soul is extracted, the people don't seem to display any different characteristics than before. Their dreams become clouded with phantom memories of their new souls' previous owner. Paul Giamatti is in Uncle Vanya. You can store your soul in New Jersey and avoid sales tax. Russia is somehow (or typically) involved in black market shenanigans. The movie essentially throws too much out at the audience and never really forms itself into a cohesive, jointed motion picture. It strives to be something between Woody Allen's Sleeper and Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but fails miserably at it. It tries to hide under the mask of randomness for randomness' sake, but it all feels very calculated.

    Basically, there are funny moments; poignant situations; philosophical ruminations; religious paradigms; paradoxical questions of ethics and much, much more. But when it comes right down to it, you don't know where to focus your attention and you don't know how to feel about the characters because you don't know what kind of film you're watching. Are you supposed to be laughing? Crying? Feeling sorry? Feeling hungry?

    The movie definitely has redeeming qualities--however few they may be. Paul Giamatti is a great actor and he does his best with a character in a movie that he probably didn't know was going to end up feeling so cold. His performance is as not nearly as multi-faceted as the film itself; but it is much more interesting than the film itself. If you're a fan of Mr.Giamatti (who plays himself in the film, by the way) then see the movie. If not, then don't.

    You won't miss out on much.
  • dunmyer
    August 28, 2009
    dunmyer
    "Cold Souls" is a beautiful, deeply felt movie about that mysterious something in human life that we call "soul." It is writer/director Sophie Barthes' first feature film, and hers is the most exciting filmmaking debut of 2009 so far.

    One criticism is that the somberness goes ... read morea bit too far in the second half of the film. The gloomy tone is weakened a bit by its relentlessness. I would encourage Barthes to think more about the power of shifting moods. Barthes breaks up the gloom quite well in the first half, but the last hour of the film gets a bit monotonous.

    I also think there is too much similarity to the work of Charlie Kaufman. I'm fairly certain that every viewer will be reminded of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" especially, but also "Being John Malkovich" and "Synecdoche, New York." In her next few films, Barthes will need to strive to come up with ideas less apt to be perceived as derivative. There are qualities she has that go well beyond the Kaufman-esque. As an example, Barthes has a gift for international communication and empathy that is stunning and distinctive. I hope in the future she emphasizes qualities such as these. ("Cold Souls" is filmed in the U.S. and Russia and has an international cast.)

    Paul Giamatti plays a character much like himself. In fact, the character (in a slightly pretentious and unnecessary attempt at postmodernism) is named Paul Giamatti. He is a film and stage actor who resembles Woody Allen in his protracted and slightly comical existential angst. There are some comic elements in Giamatti's portrayal, but for the most part "Cold Souls" is more haunting and disturbing than zany. Many people in the film are seriously broken, and watching their distress is not at all funny.

    At the start of the film, Giamatti is in rehearsals for a major production of Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya," where he has the leading role. Plagued with self-doubt and anxiety and wearied by his many years of angst, the actor has an open mind when he learns of an experimental process whereby people have their souls extracted from their bodies. It makes you feel "lighter," everyone says who has gone through it. Life is made a bit more simple and easy. Desperate and barely able to handle life, the actor decides to try it.

    The funniest scenes come when he first learns about the procedure from the chief scientist (a long-haired David Strathairn) and his blithely oblivious assistant (Lauren Ambrose). Especially hilarious is Giamatti's reaction when he sees his extracted soul and it resembles a chickpea.

    Barthes interweaves a separate storyline that is initially enigmatic but gradually is clarified for the viewer. It involves a Russian woman who visits the soul-extracting facility frequently and is often in a mysterious kind of stupor. All is not right with this woman; that much is clear. Especially disturbing are the ethereal visions she occasionally has of a group of children in what looks like a Russian orphanage. Played by an astonishing Russian actress named Dina Korzun, this character brings immeasurable depth to the film. I hope Korzun is given consideration for Best Supporting Actress come awards time.

    Gradually the mystery of the Russian woman is solved, and this is when the film becomes more serious and disturbing. I will not spoil the surprise by divulging the details. I'll just say that this woman's experience gives her a unique vantage point from which to contemplate the inner lives of many other people.

    We come to learn more about Giamatti as well, including a gorgeous, deeply moving tour of his soul. The sequences where the viewer is taken literally inside someone's soul were the trickiest in the film, and Barthes pulls it off with delicacy and grace.

    Welcome to the world of filmmaking, Ms. Barthes. I hope you're with us for a very long time.

View All Cold Souls Reviews

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 30, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's comical, yes, but glum and brooding, too, a wintry waltz through acting, underground commerce and metaphysics. Full Review

Christy Lemire
September 18, 2009
Christy Lemire, Associated Press

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 a... Full Review

Justin Berton
September 4, 2009
Justin Berton, Houston Chronicle

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. Full Review

Colin Covert
August 27, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Peppered with ingenious twists of imagination, Cold Souls walks a tightrope between intellectual slapstick and edgy social commentary. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
August 21, 2009
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

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.

Steven Rea
August 20, 2009
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

A clever existential comedy. Full Review

Andrea Gronvall
August 20, 2009
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader

A dark indie comedy that's distinguished by a sci-fi theme and surrealistic touches but ends without a payoff. Full Review

Roger Ebert
August 20, 2009
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

[Director] Barthes takes her notion and runs with it, and Giamatti and Strathairn follow fearlessly. The movie is rather evocative about the way we govern ourselves from the inside out. Full Review

Justin Berton
August 14, 2009
Justin Berton, San Francisco Chronicle

It's a simple query, and a fun one to explore, yet only a temporarily compelling conflict for a feature-length film. Full Review

Wesley Morris
August 13, 2009
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

The movie turns what could have been a tedious meta-movie exercise into a sincere dour farce. Full Review

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