Cold Souls is a plea for the modern human condition. Is one’s essence threaded by the intangible fibers of the soul or is the soul a physical hindrance to true peace? This is the quandary that Paul Giamatti, as himself, must contend with.
The film posits that the soul can be condensed into an organ-like mass, using purposefully vague technological advancements. Once extracted, souls are placed into cold storage and ogled like precious stones by their owners. Giamatti seeks this radical procedure (in the yellow pages!) to rid him of the mounting angst he suffers in rehearsals for a theatrical production of Uncle Vanya. Ironically, it turns out that his tortured soul is the doppelganger to a chickpea. However, without its influence, Giamatti’s acting career holds scant importance to himself.
READ THE REST OF MY REVIEW AT filmlinc blog!
Filed under: Andrij Parekh, David Strathairn, Paul Giamatti, Sophie Barthes, Sundance, Uncle Vanya
