Larry Richman’s great Cosmopolis review

Larry Richman’s great Cosmopolis review 2 comments

Here’s an excerpt of @Larry411′s excellent Cosmopolis review

Cosmopolis is a highly stylized, visually complex movie that demands some humility on the part of the viewer. Go in with an arms crossed, “show me” attitude and you’re likely to tune out within the first 10 minutes. Be generous with your patience and be rewarded with writer/director David Cronenberg’s deliciously creative interpretation of the Don DeLillo novel so prescient of the events it portrays almost a decade after its publication.

Robert Pattinson portrays Eric Packer, 28, a ridiculously wealthy entrepreneur and modern-day Andrew Carnegie who trades in ideas instead of steel. Like many contemporary hedge fund managers, day traders, and consumers who constantly check the value of the dollar on their cellphones, his income comes from speculation — not much different than betting on which horse will come in first at Churchill Downs. Packer’s current obsession is the Chinese Yuan, the unit of currency expected to dominate world markets in the near future (it was changed from the Japanese Yen in DeLillo’s book — some creative license on Cronenberg’s part).Cosmopolis opens with him instructing bodyguard Torval (Kevin Durand) to usher him across town (New York, but it could be any metropolis) to get a haircut. With most scenes based on visitors entering the vehicle, it’s an inside-out take on the classic road movie that takes place in one 24-hour period.

The aforementioned Pattinson, Gadon, and Durand are the triumvirate which is a constant throughout most of the film. Always at Packer’s side, Torval is both protector and father figure to the affluent boy king. His almost-robotic yet endearing performance (praise here, not disdain) takes quite a bit of discipline, resulting in what may be the most sympathetic of the leads. Gadon also has the unenviable task of “dumbing down” for this role as a cold, unemotional trophy wife. Her talent and beauty shine through but only just enough to convince us of Packer’s decision to include her in his life. Finally, as the somewhat reluctant son around whom the rest of Packer’s solar system revolves, Pattinson’s delicately understated performance improves in inverse proportion to the state of Eric’s personality as it evolves. It’s an acquired taste. It means, by definition, the viewer needs to follow along to fully appreciate what he does here. Many won’t get that far, and that would be a shame. Few actors of his generation would be able to take on such a nuanced role and make it believable. The selection of Pattinson, in taking on the challenge of playing an uncharacteristically unsympathetic protagonist, was a coup for Cronenberg and the performance which helps make Cosmopolis a stunning creative accomplishment.