Cosmopolis

David Cronenberg tackles Don DeLillo in Cosmopolis, an urban nightmare that one day may be taught in a class that studies the films that were made about income inequality.

I have not read DeLillo's novel, and as far as I know not many of his books have been made into movies. But Cronenberg took a book that takes place largely in the back of a limo about about one of the one percent who is totally out of touch with humanity and makes a noble effort. I think it's failure, but a noble one.

Robert Pattinson stars as Edward Packer, a 28-year-old billionaire who has made his money speculating on currency. He leaves his home and climbs into his limo, wondering where it's parked at night. He tells his security man (Kevin Durand) that he wants to get a haircut at a specific barbershop, even though Durand tells him the city is gridlocked because of a presidential visit. There are also protests by Occupy types who wield dead rats (a line from a poem wondering about rats as currency is the epigram of the film, and a discussion topic).

As the limo inches its way across town, Pattinson meets several people, including his new wife (Sarah Gadon), who is just as rich but a poet at heart. Several of his employees pop into the limo, including his tech guy (Jay Baruchel), his art consultant, with whom he's having an affair (Juliette Binoche), and his "theory consultant," (Samantha Morton). There is a lot of very arch dialogue, which Cronenberg admits he just transcribed from the novel. This may look very good on the page, but on screen it had a distinct lack of authenticity and was frequently pretentious.

From what I gathered, the rise of the yuan pretty much wipes out Pattinson, so by the time Durand tells him there's an assassin on his trail, Pattinson pretty much doesn't care. The last act of the film takes place in the assassin's apartment, and has an ambiguous ending, but I had pretty much lost interest by this time.

Pattinson, like his Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart, has admirably tried to shed matinee idol stardom, but he just doesn't pull it off here. He's a bland presence. For someone to be a billionaire by 28 one would have to pretty fucking amazing, but Pattinson is just an empty suit.

Cronenberg has made a lot of interesting films, and I think this is worth seeing for anyone who has an interest in him or in films about income equality and the cluelessness of the one percent. But it just didn't hit me on a gut level.