Film Review: Cosmopolis (15) (France/Canada/Portugal/Italy 2012) (Director: David Cronenberg), Friday 15.06.2012 20:50, The Cameo Cinema Screen Two, Edinburgh.

I had read a review of this film yesterday (Saturday) which made reference to the fact that the dialogue is very faithful to the source text, though with this the dialogue - at least in the first part of the film where the lead character is being driven across town in his stretch limo - is very literary and does not feel natural.

I agree with this completely and found this difficult - as in blocking to being able to try to immerse myself in the film - as it lead to feeling as though the characters were having non-conversations as the responses and statements made appeared to be detached, vague and obtuse, and for most of the characters a purposeful attempt to appear 'clever' and therefore not real. Although I found the film intriguing, it was very difficult to care about what were to happen to any of the characters portrayed.

It felt as though all characters who came to visit the lead in his car, except the visitor who came to have sex, were verbally masturbating. When this applies to most characters for a large section of the film, I find that it becomes very difficult to care as to what happens.

It also felt as though the film was trying to make a statement about how in society anomalies tend to get discarded/not mentioned, for the ease of understanding. While at the same time meaning that the understanding gained is only ever within the artificial confines created by the edited information the understanding is based upon. This is always a dangerous path due to the potential reaction of the unacknowledged/unrecognized. Although this is what I took from the film, and feel this is a valid facet of society for a film to focus upon, I feel as though many of the conversations within the film (it is very talkie) either distract or muddy this. Though perhaps that is part of what is being addressed, as the whole way the characters discuss matters where the artifice of the exchange is so 'performed' assist the characters to not see the anomalies.

The film kept my interest, though as I have said it was hard to care for characters who were either vacuous or self-obsessed. I feel it is in ways subtle and more to be admired than enjoyed.

After Reconsideration:
Rating: 07/10.