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Cosmopolis (film)

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Cosmopolis
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Cronenberg
Screenplay byDavid Cronenberg
Produced byPaulo Branco
Renee Tab
David Cronenberg
Martin Katz
StarringRobert Pattinson
Paul Giamatti
Samantha Morton
Sarah Gadon
Mathieu Amalric
Juliette Binoche
Music byHoward Shore
Metric[1][2]
Production
companies
Alfama Films
Kinology
Prospero Pictures
Toronto Antenna
Distributed byeOne Films
Release dates
  • May 25, 2012 (2012-05-25) (Cannes)
  • June 8, 2012 (2012-06-08) (Canada)
  • August 17, 2012 (2012-08-17) (US)
Running time
109 minutes[3]
CountriesFrance
Canada
Portugal
Italy
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20,500,000[4]
Box office$6,063,556[5]

Cosmopolis is a 2012 drama science fiction film written, produced and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Robert Pattinson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Don DeLillo. On May 25, 2012, the film premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival,[6] drawing mixed early critical reactions.[7] The film was released in Canada on June 8, 2012,[8] and began a limited release in the United States on August 17, 2012.[9] It is Cronenberg's first foray into sci-fi cinema since 1999's eXistenZ

Plot

A 28-year-old billionaire currency speculator/asset manager Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson), rides slowly across Manhattan, despite traffic jams, in his state-of-the-art luxury stretch limousine that he uses as his office, while on his way to his preferred barber. The traffic jams are caused by a visit of the President of the United States and by the funeral of Eric's favorite musician, a Sufi rap artist whose music he plays in one of his two private elevators. Despite his clearly plummeting fortunes, Packer fantasizes about buying the Mark Rothko Chapel. He has recently married; he meets his wife in her taxi, in a library and outside a theater. She doesn't seem interested in having sex with her husband, Packer. Packer has sex with other women, and his wife takes it as a reason for breaking their union. Meanwhile, anti-capitalist activists on the street demonstrate by waving rats and declaring that "A specter is haunting the world: the specter of capitalism". They spray-paint Packer's limo, and he is later subjected to a pieing by one of the activists. Packer learns that an assassin is out to kill him, but seems curiously uninterested in who the person might be.

In his car, while having a meeting, he has his doctor carry out his daily medical checkup; Eric worries about the doctor's finding that he has an asymmetrical prostate. After devastating currency speculation, which wipes out most of his fortune, his world begins to disintegrate. Eventually he kills his bodyguard. Arriving at the barber, who knew his father, Packer has his hair cut on one side. The barber and the black limo driver discuss their respective careers driving cabs and the barber, learning that Packer has thrown away his gun, gives him his own gun. Packer follows a path of further self-destruction, including visiting his potential murderer, Richard Sheets a.k.a. Benno Levin, a man who used to work for him. Packer seems likely to commit suicide but instead deliberately shoots himself in the hand. The murderer, who feels adrift in the capitalist system, explains to Packer that his mistake in speculating was looking for perfect symmetry and patterns in the stock market; instead, he should have looked for the lopsided - his body with its asymmetrical prostate was telling him this. The film ends with the potential murderer holding a gun to Eric's head and threatening to kill him, but a final shot is not shown.

Cast

Production

News about a film adaptation of Cosmopolis first emerged on 10 February 2009 when Geoffrey Macnab, writing for Screendaily.com, reported that "In his most ambitious project to date, international producer Paulo Branco is plotting a $10m-12m film based on the novel Cosmopolis by legendary US writer Don DeLillo. Branco's Alfama Films is producing the film about a day in the life of a young billionaire financier who, over the course of a traumatic day, loses all his wealth. A director will be named shortly and DeLillo is on board to collaborate."[10]

On July 26, 2009, it was announced that Canadian director David Cronenberg had become involved in the project and would now bring the novel to the screen. The film was scheduled to begin filming in 2010, with Paulo Branco's Paris-based production house Alfama Films co-producing with Cronenberg's Toronto Antenna Ltd.[11]

On September 3, 2009, Paulo Branco officially confirmed to Screendaily.com that "Cronenberg has now finished his screenplay and is now looking to cast the film."[12]

On January 13, 2010, it was reported that Cronenberg was still committed to the film, although a cast and a starting date for production were yet to be announced. Cronenberg said that everyone was "happy with the script" and he was "very fond" of the project.[13]

The filming took place in Toronto and was completed in July 2011.

Colin Farrell was initially cast in the main role but left due to scheduling difficulties with Total Recall.[14] He was later replaced by Pattinson. Marion Cotillard was involved in the project but also left because of scheduling conflicts.[15]

Music

The soundtrack for Cosmopolis reunited composer Howard Shore and the Canadian indie rock band Metric who had previously collaborated on a song for Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack (which had also starred Robert Pattinson). While writing the score for Cosmopolis, Shore desired a particular live sound and invited Metric to perform the score and co-write three songs. The music was recorded in November 2011 at the band's own Giant Studios in Toronto, produced by Howard Shore and Metric guitarist Jimmy Shaw, and mixed by John O'Mahony at Liberty Studios in Toronto and Electric Lady Studios in New York City. The Cosmopolis soundtrack also features Mecca by Somali Singer/Rapper K'naan with lyrics by the K'naan and Don DeLillo.[16] Film Music Magazine's Daniel Schweiger praised the soundtrack as "an environment of hallucinatory beauty. There’s a real intelligence to the rock-alt. material here that goes beyond many indie star-composer collaborations."[17] James Christopher Monger of Allmusic.com lauded Emily Haines for her "strong vocal performances on the ghostly "Long to Live" and "Call Me Home," switching to a full-on banshee wail for the pulsating "I Don't Want to Wake Up."" and wrote the score was "one of the most engaging soundtracks of the year."[18]

Reception

David Cronenberg, Robert Pattinson, and Juliette Binoche promoting the film at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival

Cosmopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2012.

Cosmopolis received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film 65%, based on 155 reviews. The consensus says, "Though some may find it cold and didactic, Cosmopolis benefits from David Cronenberg's precise direction, resulting in a psychologically complex adaptation of Don DeLillo's novel."[19] Justin Chang of Variety wrote: "An eerily precise match of filmmaker and material, Cosmopolis probes the soullessness of the 1% with the cinematic equivalent of latex gloves. ... Pattinson's excellent performance reps an indispensable asset."[20] Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the film four stars out of five, stating, "It's a smart inversion of Cronenberg’s 1999 film eXistenZ: rather than being umbilically connected to a virtual world, Packer is hermetically sealed off from the real one. At its heart is a sensational central performance from Robert Pattinson as Packer. Pattinson plays him like a human caldera; stony on the surface, with volcanic chambers of nervous energy and self-loathing churning deep below."[21] Ross Miller of Thoughts On Film also gave the film four out of five stars stating that, "If, like me, you’re in-tune with the tone, style and direction of the film then it provides for a fascinating and intellectually nourishing experience."[22] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly stated, "Cosmopolis includes its own version of the Occupy hordes: scruffy, vengeful protesters who run around the streets, and into restaurants, brandishing the bodies of dead rats. ... Pattinson, pale and predatory even without his pasty-white vampire makeup, delivers his frigid pensées with rhythmic confidence."[23] A very positive review came from The London Film Review, which said "The fact is, Cronenberg made a movie for YOU. The 99%. A movie that reflects, comments on[,] satirizes and parodies our time."[24]

However, Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film writing, "Lifeless, stagey and lacking a palpable subversive pulse despite the ready opportunities offered by the material, this stillborn adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel initially will attract some Robert Pattinson fans but will be widely met with audience indifference."[25]

Sight & Sound film magazine listed the film at #8 on its list of best films of 2012,[26] and Cahiers du Cinema placed it at #2.[27]

It is notable that even though the film is ostensibly set in Manhattan, Toronto landmarks such as the Canon Theatre (now the Ed Mirvish Theatre) feature in the film.

References

  1. ^ Alex Hudson (15). "Metric and K'naan's Contributions to David Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis' Soundtrack Revealed". Exclaim.ca. Ian Danzig. Retrieved 9 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Cosmopolis by Howard Shore Metric Benno (JPEG), Sound track geek, 2012 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help).
  3. ^ BBFC, UK
  4. ^ "Cosmopolis (2012)". Movieinsider. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Cosmopolis (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ^ "2012 Official Selection". Cannes. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  7. ^ "Cosmopolis". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  8. ^ Wilner, Norman (June 7–14, 2012). "Cosmopolis". Now. Vol. 31, no. 41. Toronto. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
  9. ^ Adam Chitwood (June 7, 2012). "Cosmopolis, Playing The Field and The Words Release Dates". Collider.com. Retrieved June 7, 2012.
  10. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey, Paolo Branco plots Cosmopolis, Screen Daily.
  11. ^ "Director David Cronenberg takes on 'Cosmopolis'". News. Canada: Yahoo!. 2009‐7‐26. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Macnab, Geoffrey, Lawrence ‘Larry’ Clark to direct trouble teen drama: wild child, Screen Daily.
  13. ^ Ahearn, Victoria (13 January 2010). "David Cronenberg wants Keira Knightley for Freud-Jung drama 'The Talking Cure'". The Canadian Press. 680 News. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  14. ^ Hubschman, Daniel (2011-01-06). "Robert Pattinson Replaces Colin Farrell In Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis'". Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  15. ^ Ward, Kate (2011-01-20). "Marion Cotillard out of David Cronenberg's 'Cosmopolis'". InsideMovies.EW.com. Retrieved 2011-05-27.
  16. ^ Carrie Battan (13). "Metric Score David Cronenberg's Don DeLillo Adaptation Cosmopolis". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  17. ^ Daniel Schweiger (25). "June Soundtrack Picks". Film Music Magazine. Global Media Online, Inc. Retrieved 9 September 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Cosmopolis original motion picture soundtrack, All music.
  19. ^ Cosmopolis at Rotten Tomatoes
  20. ^ Chang, Justin (2012-05-25), "Cosmopolis" (review), Variety, retrieved 2012-05-29.
  21. ^ Collin, Robbie (2012-05-26), "Cannes 2012: Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis" (review), The Telegraph, retrieved 2012-05-29.
  22. ^ Miller, Ross (2012-06-14), Cosmopolis movie (review), Thoughts on Film, retrieved 2012-08-26.
  23. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (2012-05-25), "Cannes: Robert Pattinson in Cosmopolis", Inside movies, EW, retrieved 2012-05-29.
  24. ^ http://www.thelondonfilmreview.com/film-review/re-review-cosmopolis/
  25. ^ McCarthy, Todd (2012-05-25), "Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson, Cannes" (review), The Hollywood Reporter, retrieved 2012-05-29.
  26. ^ http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/the-master-named-2012s-best-in-sight-sound-critics-poll
  27. ^ http://movieline.com/2012/11/21/cahiers-du-cinema-top-10-holy-motors-cosmopolis-pattinson-2012
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