Robert Pattinson plays Eric Packer, an uber wealthy, intuitive man of the world, who spends his days doing business in a limousine, drifting through city streets while staff, lovers and a doctor come and go as ordered. His day quickly spirals out of control when he loses massive sums of money and his life is threatened by an unknown source.
Director David Cronenberg has chosen a high profile cast for COSMOPOLIS, although it’s a surprising mix, especially the choice of women Packer has sex with.
There are plenty of close-ups of Robert Pattinson and he’s in every scene, his character is tough, cold hearted and calculating – kind of a passive aggressive, financial vampire and he plays it extremely well. Pattinson is clearly trying to round out the scripts he chooses and building a nice portfolio of work.
The script is overflowing with intriguing dialogue, taken directly from the book it’s based on. You could get caught up contemplating a particular line and miss several others if you don’t pay attention.
I found spending time in the limo created a growing sense of claustrophobia, only broken by the coming and going of odd characters speaking fabulous dialogue, it also added a feeling of freedom to the moments Packer did venture out into the real world. The sound outside of Packer’s immediate vicinity was muffled creating a bizarre distancing and enhanced the idea he lived in a world of his own.
As I settled in to the unusual style of the film, I was reminded of books that I read 20 years ago, in the way it layered questions about how we will live in the future and what makes us tick. By the time the movie meandered it’s way to the finish I was enthralled – and disappointed that it had to end. After which, the audience didn’t rush from the room, but talked about the movie and continued chatting in the elevator.
Some critics have bagged the performances, mostly by the women and thought it was slow – but I liked the pace once I’d settled into it, there were plenty of turning points and surprising outcomes and I found the quirky performances represented odd characters, which I enjoy – plenty of odd characters colour my life.
Robert Pattinson, Kevin Durand, Sarah Gadon and the amazing Paul Giamatti, were my particular fav performances, probably because of the dialogue, as that’s the key here.
COSMOPOLIS is a surprising film, perfect if you’re looking for something different and are willing to go with it. For days I continued to wonder about the end of our world as we know it
Here’s the weekly round-up of pics and quote of the day.
“I can’t remember who said it, but a soul and a heaven must exist because good people aren’t rewarded enough on Earth. I always liked that idea, if that makes sense.”
Robert Pattinson (Twilight franchise, Water For Elephants) joins Academy Award® nominees Uma Thurman (Best Actress, Pulp Fiction, 1994) and Kristin Scott Thomas (Best Actress, The English Patient, 1996) and Golden Globe® nominee Christina Ricci (TV’s “Pan Am,” Monster) in Bel Ami, coming to DVD August 7th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The film follows penniless soldier Georges Duroy (Pattinson), who has returned to Paris from the war around the turn of the century. Duroy quickly learns that by using his wit and powers of seduction, he can improve his financial and social status. The DVD includes the featurette, “Bel Ami: Behind the Scenes.”
Synopsis: Based on Guy de Maupassant’s classic novel, this tale of temptation and obsession chronicles Georges Duroy’s (Robert Pattinson) rise to power from his meager beginnings as a penniless ex-soldier by using the city’s most influential and wealthy women. Set in turn of the century Paris, Duroy seduces Madame de Marelle (Christina Ricci) then marries Madeleine Forestier (Uma Thurman), a former comrade’s wife. Fueled by his insatiable quest and lustful greed, Duroy conquers Madame Walter (Kristin Scott Thomas), only to learn that every conquest is marred by betrayal and that true love eludes him.
Included Bonus Feature: “Bel Ami: Behind the Scenes” featurette
BEL AMI was directed by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod from a screenplay by Rachel Bennette, based upon the novel by Guy de Maupassant. Uberto Pasolini produced with Simon Fuller serving as executive producer.
The film has a run time of 102 minutes, and it is rated R for some strong sexuality, nudity and brief language.
Here’s a great article about Cosmopolis from NY Times
Mr. Cronenberg’s latest film,“Cosmopolis,” takes place in a spectral world of global capital, digital information and virtual everything. Its currency-trading billionaire hero, cocooned in a white stretch limousine that serves as a second skin, deals and speaks in abstractions and is himself something of a hologram, an inscrutable young master of a conceptual universe.
“Cosmopolis,” due Aug. 17 from eOne, follows the suave Eric Packer (played by the“Twilight” heartthrob Robert Pattinson) on what proves to be a day of reckoning. Inching through Manhattan traffic for a haircut on the other side of town, he receives a succession of experts and analysts in his leather-upholstered sanctum, which doubles as a boardroom, a bedroom and even a doctor’s office. External distractions — a presidential motorcade, anti-capitalist demonstrations — appear through tinted windows and on touch screens. Everything happens and is experienced at a dreamlike remove. Eric’s bet against the Chinese yuan has turned disastrous, but he responds with eerie detachment, numbly contemplating the prospect of his economic and actual extinction.
“Cosmopolis” is hardly obvious screen material on the page. But Mr. Cronenberg has located cinematic life in other novels that many would deem unfilmable, whether for being too bizarre (William S. Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch”), too graphic (J. G. Ballard’s“Crash”) or too interior (Patrick McGrath’s “Spider”).
To those of you attending the Times Talk Cosmopolis Q&A on August 15 in New York here is a refresher on te guidelines plus new of oration regarding the event.
”We will not have a live audience Q&A for this event. We are, however, accepting questions in advance. Our moderator will choose a select number of these questions to read to Mr. Cronenberg and Mr. Pattinson during the interview.’ If you wish to submit a question for consideration, please email TimesTalks@nytimes.com and please include your name and location.”
Following are the guidelines of conduct:
Camping outside the venue overnight is not permitted. The area outside The TimesCenter is private property and building security will remove anyone who remains overnight on the property.
The doors to the lobby of The TimesCenter will open early for this event, at 4pm, and patrons may queue up at this time. We encourage you to arrive no earlier than 4pm.
Doors to the theater will open at 6pm. Only ticketed patrons will have access to the lobby and theater of The TimesCenter.
Any photography, video and/or audio recording are strictly prohibited in the theater. Violators may be subject to removal.
This event is being filmed and Webcast live on new.livestream.com/nytimes. Video of the event will be available on demand, also at new.livestream.com/nytimes.
“Cosmopolis is a film that Robert is very proud of and looks forward to supporting,” Pattinson’s rep told CNN. “No confirmed engagements have been canceled. Any reports to the contrary are inaccurate.”
And that’s not all: E! News adds that a rep for The New York Times’ TimesTalk series says Pattinson’s plans to appear with director David Cronenberg on August 15 to promote the film are also apparently “still on track.”
“Cosmopolis” opens in limited release on August 17.
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