COSMOPOLIS Blu-ray Review
Cosmopolis arrived on Blu-ray thanks to Entertainment One on January 1st. Directed by David Cronenburg the film stars Robert Pattinson, Kevin Durand, Paul Giamatti, Samantha Morton, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, and Juliette Binoche. For female fans of Pattinson, don't worry, you get to see a lot of him on screen in very close quarters with many tight shots.
Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, the story follows financial genius Eric Packer (Pattinson) as he traverses the wilds of Manhattan in the comfort of his super-high tech limousine while on a mission to get a haircut. Packer has everything in life, but begins to question his existence. He may have achieved all of his dreams, but he only feels alive when he is having sex and is extremely afraid of death. During the journey, the world financial markets are falling apart. Packer believes it is only a matter of time before the Chinese economy collapses. Much to his disappointment, however, the yuan has proved resilient and he has suffered serious hits against his wealth.
I went into Cosmopolis very excited to see a new David Cronenburg film, and one that was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. The high-concept film deals with a variety of themes, and at times causes the mind to boggle. The film is a smorgasbord of capitalism, mortality, politics, and more all rolled up nicely into a 109 minute package. This is a definite departure from The Twilight Saga for Pattinson, but that is a great thing in my mind.
The movie is visually stunning, but the best part of the disc to me are the bonus features. Pattinson really stands out whiel he turns in his best work as Eric Packer. The rest of the cast does not have as much screen time, but they are each important and give powerful performances. I especially enjoyed seeing Durand and Giamatti in their respective roles. Cronenburg is not at his best, but I love seeing his unique take on this story. Looking at his past work, I would say that this is my third personal favorite behind A History of Violence and Eastern Promises.
Special Features:
Citizens of Cosmopolis - This is the best part of the disc, and should be mandatory watching for anyone interested in becoming a director. The documentary goes behind-the-scenes of the film's production. Everything is covered from DeLillo's novel to the various messages included in the story. The doc also includes interviews with Cronenburg, cast, crew, and even fans.
Interviews - This section includes interviews with lead cast members, as well as director David Cronenberg, producer Paulo Branco, and producer Martin Katz. Some of the same excerpts used in the documentary are also featured here, which is redundant if you ask me.
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