Gamer/Samuel Goldwyn Films/2009/pg-13

As a huge fan of writer Charlie Kaufman, I was excited when I first saw the trailer for Cold Souls. I remember seeing Being John Malkovich opening day, and was intrigued by Adaptation, Human Nature, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I considered his directorial debut with to be one Synecdoche New York of the best films of last year. Yet, I was a little baffled to find out Kauffman had zippo zilch to do with this. It's not that Kaufman has a monopoly on dark toned New York set existential comedies, it's just *everything* about this movie feels straight out of Being John Malkovich and the mind of Kaufman. But is that a bad thing? I say no.

Paul Giamatti stars as...well Paul Giamatti. An overly neurotic and nebbish playwright living in New York, he seems more fit for a Woody Allen piece than anything, but here he's perfect.
The star of Sideways and Lady in the Water shines, as we not only get into his mind...but his soul. After being unable to move forward with a play called "Uncle Vanya", Giamatti happens upon a New Yorker article about "soul storage". Intrigued, he pays the clinic a visit...only to realize being de-souled is not quite what he bargained for. Things only get worse when he rents the soul of someone else. We're then summarily thrust into the shadowy world of "soul trafficking" that takes us from the big apple to freezing Russia. Even had this not received a limited art house run, it's doubtful it would have received a wider mainstream reception. This is definitely a film thats more in line with people who enjoyed say, I Heart Huckabees and Punch Drunk Love than Billy Madison and Big Moma's House.