COLD SOULS (USA 2009) **
Directed by Sophie Barthes

COLD SOULS (a soul searching comedy?) plays on the premise of a cure if ones soul is bringing one down.  One can donate ones soul or buy another’s, preferably from someone famous like Al Pacino, as a Russian up and coming actress does in this sometimes original low-budget comedy.

Writer/director Sophie Barthes debut feature deals with the selling of such souls.  A high-tech company – headed by a smoothing talking salesman, Dr. Flintstein (David Strathairn) convinces actor Paul Giamatti to trade his with disastrous and occasionally hilarious results.  Giamatti plays himself playing Uncle Vanya in the famous Chekhov play – but unable to perform both satisfactorily on stage on in bed with his wife (Emily Watson in a wasted role).

Barthes’ film treads the fine line between surrealism (the possibility of soul extraction) and absurdist humor (Giamatti’s soul looking like a chick-pea).  Think the cloning sequence of Woody Allen’s SLEEPER as an example.

There will likely be unfair comparisons between COLD SOULS and Charlie Kaufman’s films.  But Barthes is more inexperienced a filmmaker.  Though her film lacks the depth of say, ADAPTATION or CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, COLD SOULS has her originality stamp and hers and Giamatti’s brand of humour.  Too bad it runs out of steam (and jokes) too quickly with its one idea premise.  Barthes adds a sub-plot of illegal trafficking of souls, but it does not help much.