Review of Cold Souls (2009) by Greg K — 22 Mar 2011

Having trouble with your soul? Is it weighing you down? Then why don't you try The Soul Storage Company. They extract your soul and store it in a freezer. If you get tired of your own soul you can always swap for another on the black market. These souls come from Russia. Or if you just want to be soulless than that's okay too because the Soul Storage Company is all about getting you lighter and soul free!

Paul Giamatti is struggling with acting in a Russian play called 'Uncle Vanya'. He's restless about it or maybe it's is soul that's causing all the trouble. His agent suggests an article in The New Yorker that he should read about Soul Storage. He's a bit weary of the idea, but still checks it out.

He meets Dr. Flintstein who kind of persuades Giamatti with some technical mumbo jumbo about what they do. He's skeptical, but does it anyway. The soul extraction machine is like a giant Marshmellow. Very trippy. What's even more funny is that after your soul has been extracted you wait in what looks like a lounge area where water and Marshmellows are available for you to eat. The whole Marshmellow aspect is never really explained. I can only assumed that a Marshmellow is suppose to be metaphorical in the sense of being lighter once your soul is extracted.

Giamatti's soul, after it's extracted, turns out to be a chickpea. A chickpea! It's so small! I couldn't stop laughing at how absurd it was to feel bad over how small one's soul is. So, it's extracted and he goes on to work on the play, but something is wrong. Without a soul, he's empty. He can't even make love to his wife anymore. So, he returns except this time instead of getting his soul back he looks through a soul catalog and chooses one of a Russian poet.

It's a success! Except the memories of that soul keep flooding into his brain. The play turns out to be a success for him as well, but with this new soul something turns out to be weighing him down again. This particular soul had a troubled life and it's weighing on Giamatti. So, he wants his soul back.

Nina is a Russian soul trafficker and her boss's wife, the talentless Sveta, wants the soul of a famous American actor. Nina is a mule for these souls. She embodies them with the help of Dr. Flintstein and then returns to her Russian headquarters where they too provide soul storage. Nina was sent to traffic the soul of Al Pacino. Unfortunately, the only celebrity that's extracted their soul was Paul Giamatti. So, she takes his, flies back to Russia, extracts it and then puts it into Sveta.

This discovery only complicates more for Giamatti. However, he is able to find the mule, Nina, and with her help they fly to Russia to get his soul back.

It's so great to watch something fresh and original. Films like this are gems and they should be collected. Not only is the film inventive, but funny in how absurd the idea is of putting your soul in a storage facility. Sophie Barthes was obviously influence by 'Being John Malkovich' but I also believe it was a Woody Allen film called 'Sleeper' which takes the cake for being a small inspiration. She has stated the film was inspired by a dream she had of Woody Allen who discovered that his soul was a chickpea. If Woody had played himself it would've been a dream come true!

Overall, this was funny. Just too funny.