Why Cosmopolis is a Great Film

There are two things I need to rectify now I’ve finished watching Cosmopolis.

1. Robert Pattinson, despite my original apprehensions when the film was announced, was pretty damn good
2. It’s a screen adaptation of Cosmopolis

Point one doesn’t need any more explanation and while Pattinson occasionally backtracks to moody Twilight vampire, he gets Packer pretty much as I imagined him.

Number two is imperative for people’s understanding of the film. If you don’t know this fact and the trailer has a mountain of mis-selling to answer for, it’s a film that follows a self destructive multibillionaire who trudges across NYC in a limo akin to the Starship Enterprise while sleeping with women and throwing away his fortune betting against an ever rising Chinese currency.

DeLillo’s book, of which this is based upon, is a postmodern commentary on the hyper real, technological capitalism, existentialist theory and everything else between. This, in both novel and Cronenberg’s adaptation, is delivered via a series of one-on-one encounters focused on human dialogue.

Where Do The Limos Go

The book literally has no action. It’s a book about postmodernist futurism and a bucketload of other tropes. It’s also a grand example of what’s possible with language, something that thankfully translates to screen. Its narrative is a fragmented mess, a direct intention by DeLillo to make a statement on our inability to keep pace with global markets and economies that never sleep.

In fact despite being written in the wake of 9/11, Cosmopolis has never been so relevant as European debt spirals out of control and anarchy slowly descends.

It’s filmmaking but not a film. If you’re not a philosophical person, 99% of the film will be wasted on you. It’s for those who look beyond films for entertainment. It moves at a snail’s pace and is one of the most essential non-essential films of the year.

Having studied DeLillo extensively at University, I’m familiar with what’s being presented. The 25% of people that walked out were lied to the film’s marketing. This is a pseudo documentary that’s not mockumentary.

Cosmopolis is the world we live in whether we like it or not. Reality is harsh and boring, and that’s where the film succeeds. The rat rises.

Tagged: Cosmopolis, Film, marco fiori, Movie, Review