Cosmopolis ☆☆☆☆

After seeing another Cronenberg film only recently – A Dangerous Method – I had my expectations set quite low for this one. I wasn’t blown away by ADM, but Cosmopolis is something else entirely.

This film truly captures Cronenberg’s filmmaking vision. It takes the quiet, characterisation of a single figure and juxtaposes that with shocking violence and graphic sex. Alongside these traits previously seen in A History of Violence, there was also commentary upon the changes to our technology and the arrogance of the super rich.

For this is what the film is about, Robert Pattinson riding around in limosine through New York while his company loses hundreds of millions of dollars and a threat is made against his life. But Pattinson? He just wants his hair cut.

The film is entirely focused on Pattinson, his whims, his desires, the sex he is having, the effect he has on others. It feels very staged and very ‘other’, but not so out of the box you can’t follow. Or at least it didn’t lose me despite how tired I was when I watched it. I’ll admit to almost falling asleep once or twice, but then some extreme violence would occur and I’d be snapped back to being fully engaged.

For an actor looking to shake off the chains of a teen saga Pattinson could not have done better than get this role, as Cronenberg could have gotten no one else to quite pull off the arrogance mixed with this strange aura of innocence. The supporting cast were a mix of sublime and truly odd, with Juliette Binoche and Samantha Morton taking up brief residence in the limo to advise the young billionaire, while Paul Giamatti turns up toward the end as what I can only describe as a true madman.

Personally I feel like I wouldn’t watch this film again, but like a lot of brilliant filmmaking it deserves a high rating. The acting was superb across the board, the idea completely odd, the setting and way it was filmed more art than traditional movie making. But then this isn’t your average Hollywood movie, it’s one that deserves some thought and attention.

I would say if you enjoyed A History of Violence, or even David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, you should give Cosmopolis a try. Chances are you may find it too much, but then again you may just engage with Pattinson enough to want to know why he is worth filming.