Cold Souls

Just finished watching Cold Souls with Paul Giamatti. First let me just say, big fan of this movie. It's conceptual which is enough to turn some people away; it's also a little on the slow side - it could do with a tighter edit - but that's my only complaint.

So the idea of the film in a nutshell is that the technology to remove the human soul and keep it in cold storage exists. Paul Giamatti plays a character named Paul Giamatti, an actor who feels his soul is too heavy and believes it's preventing him from "becoming" Uncle Vanya in the play he is starring in (Vanya).

The acting is stellar. David Strathairn is particularly wonderful as the doctor running the soul removal clinic in the US. The story is inspired and unique. To say it's Kaufman-esque, which I've read in quite a few critics reviews, I think is just an attempt to categorize which isn't necessary. The movie is funny, interesting, well-written, and as I mentioned well acted. I don't see the need to compare it, just enjoy it.

This is a great Sunday afternoon type of film. It feels small and intimate even with its big concepts. It's not something I could see watching over and over, but a second viewing is definitely in order, simply to appreciate all the nuances in the story and characters.

I'd rate Cold Souls a 8 out of 10 and David Strathairn a full 10 because he is so damn funny in this role.