Review of Cold Souls (2009) by Tom T — 31 Mar 2010

It's pretty impossible not to compare this to Synecdoche New York, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Being John Malkovich, all of which are Charlie Kaufman screenplays. However, Cold Souls definitely feels different, which is a good thing.

The premise is excellent. The first 30 minutes are a joy to watch. Giamatti is a brilliant actor and watching him move from scene to scene is hilarious at times, poignant at others. The problem is, the concept of the soul is never explored, despite being the main theme of the film.

Almost no philosophical angles are tendered forth, aside from the occasional musing. As a result, there's nowhere to go. It essentially becomes a plot where the main character eventually finds himself right back where he started, maybe a little wiser.

The film doesn't succeed at raising questions, as all it really does is merely posit that the soul exists. The story and characters are still very rooted in the real world. The metaphysical ends up being a vehicle for Giamatti's character to find himself.