Cosmopolis Review

 

Potentially Spoilerish... be warned. 

When the news first broke around the interwebs that Robert Pattinson was going to do a movie called "Cosmopolis", which like many of his film choices is based on a book, droves of people were suddenly reading Don De Lillo's work. Consequently, droves of people were tweeting things like "I have no clue what this book is about" or "this book is so weird" or "how the hell are they going to get this on film?" - especially after it's popularity shot up after winning the MTV Brawl back in January!

HOW did he make this look sexy?! 

In the world of Robert Pattinson fans I have found very few people who actually loved the book. Personally, I LOVED the book. *waves hi to Rose*, my kindred book spirit. And when it was announced that THE David Cronenberg was going to be directing... well, be still my movie loving heart. So commenced a year of waiting, a year of seeing set pictures, seeing Rob with the dodgiest (yet, sexy) haircut known to mankind, a year of speculation...a year waiting for a movie set almost entirely in a limo!! 

Jess and I were lucky to get to see a press screening of Cosmopolis two weeks ago in Dublin. Turns out, given the films limited release in Ireland (only avail in Dublin) we were blessed. Boy, were we blessed. 

This film is nothing like anything Rob has ever done before. I'm almost sure it's nothing like anyone has done before. If I'd tried to write this review as soon as I left the theatre all it would say is .. "Wow, that was... wow." It left me speechless (in a good way.)

It's pure Cronenbergian greatness. Eric Packer is a multi-billionaire, wall street trader, who is so rich he has lost all sense of what money is, what it means, what it can give him any more. He is disconnected from the real world to such an extent that he is almost robotically ruled by the numbers flashing before his eyes as millions of dollars/world currencies are traded in front of his eyes in the most pimped out limo ever. 

He has one mission on this one day in New York and that is to get a haircut, across town, in his old neighbourhood barbers. Nowhere else will do. You get a sense from this theme that Eric has realised he needs to go back to his roots to sort out the current problem(s) he is having. To anyone else it would be an existential crisis but to Eric, it's a glitch in the market that is affecting his whole mindset.

He is joined by several people in the limo as it slowly makes it way through a presidential visit, a rappers funeral procession, and a protest rally. Each actor who joins the seemingly unshakable Packer in the limo proves why they were handpicked by Cronenberg for the parts. Everyone from Jay Baruchel (Shiner) to Juliette Binoche (Didi Fancher) to Samantha Morton (Vija Kinsky), shows true acting skill in such a confined set. 

Kevin Durand plays Torval- Packer's head of security, and plays it well. He seems quietly exasperated at his boss's seemingly suicidal mission to get across New York in such riotous circumstances. Trust me when I say you will remember the name "Nancy Babich" when this movie is over... 

"In the next block there are two haircutting salons. One, two. No need to go crosstown. The situation isn’t stable."

"You’re unsettled because you feel you have no role, you have no place. But you have to ask yourself whose fault this is..."

Paul Giamatti, briefly glimpsed earlier in the movie comes into full focus in the last scenes. He is an astounding actor and he brings the movie to a close with the effect of a whirlwind taking place inside a disturbed mind. 

And then there was Rob...! As a Robert Pattinson fan I am often subjected to trite media sarcasm, or considered a teenager with a crush (hey I'm 34!!) or worse, a Mom with a crush (I ain't one of them either), I am just a fan. And this is his best work to date! I can say that because I've seen everything he's done... My husband says a true fan knows when an actor's work is not up to standard - I reply with "well Little Ashes will be something I'll probably only ever watch once... and the Haunted Airman, maybe twice."  

Cosmopolis is a far cry from "Edward" in the Twilight Saga or "Diggory" in Harry Potter. This is a monologue driven, progressionist, sex fueled, current, masterpiece. Robert is in every scene and in every scene he nails it. He also nails a couple of women along the way which will leave you squirming in your seats (seriously - a room full of male journos, I was stifling myself and I saw one or two of them do the same). 

Everyone takes something different from this movie from what I've read of reviews so far - What I took from it? Robert plays a character who while seemingly, inhumanly disconnected to the point of robotic, systematically breaks down self made barriers to humanity and rediscovers he is actually human in the space of a day - the length of time it takes for him to get to his destination. 

Your destination ... Dublin. Get in the Limo, hold on for dear life, and make sure you see this movie!