Director and writer David Cronenberg has a penchant for peculiar plots. His latest flick Cosmopolis, based on a novel of the same name from Don DeLillo, is a glitzy example. The film stars Robert Pattinson (Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I) as Eric Packer a 20-something billionaire asset manager whose simple quest in his stretch limo to get a haircut turns into a bazaar odyssey that puts him on a collision course with everyone he encounters as he conducts business. Each wants something from him, leaving him a little worse for wear when they exit his limo; from his new wife who denies him physical intimacy to his doctor who gives him a prostate exam. A cornucopia of craziness occurs during Packer's limo ride including the limo being tagged with graffiti while driving through a riot scene.
The symbolism in this film is glaringly obvious as if we are being lectured on the evils of corporate America and it's disintegration of society and humanity. Packer's response to the chaos that unfolds around him is somewhat robotic, possibly representing what some see as a cold, unsympathetic and unfeeling corporate America. When Packer's epic limo ride comes to its final destination, it's even more clear that there is a definitive message in the story. As hard as we strive to achieve perfection in life, that which we desire in reality may not be as satisfying as what we dreamed it to be.
The perfect man, the perfect woman, the perfect career, the perfect life. These are all challenged in Cronenberg's somber and cynical look at the life of corporate America via the inside of a luxe limo and from the perspective of a wealthy business man who only wants to get a hair cut that turns out to be less than perfect.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WpEc-rJQ3s[/youtube]
Chicly Yours,
The Chic Spy
(Image courtesy of Entertainment One Films)
