Cold Souls (2009)

Director:

Sophie Barthes

Writer (WGA):

Sophie Barthes (written by)

Release Date:

13 November 2009 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A soul searching comedy.

Plot:

Paul is an actor who feels bogged down by his participation in a production of Chekov's play, Vanya.

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Poet | Agent | Ennui | Chickpea

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Paul Giamatti	...	Paul Giamatti
Armand Schultz	...	Astrov
Michael Tucker	...	Theatre Director
Dina Korzun	...	Nina
Ted Koch	...	INS Officer
Oksana Lada	...	Sasha
Natalia Zvereva	...	Blonde Mule
Larisa Bell	...	Russian Singer
Anna Dyukova	...	Olga (as Anna Dukova)
Charles Techman	...	Soul Storage Doorman
Lauren Ambrose	...	Stephanie
David Strathairn	...	Dr. Flintstein
Laura Heisler	...	Female Client in Promo
Brienin Bryant	...	Young Woman in Soul Storage
Charlotte Mickie	...	Mrs. Rathbone
Rebecca Brooksher	...	Yelena
Henry Stram	...	Telegin
Herb Foster	...	Serebriakov
Boris Kievsky	...	Oleg
Sergei Kolesnikov	...	Dimitri (as Sergey Kolesnikov)
Katheryn Winnick	...	Sveta
Alex Adamov	...	Photographer
Emily Watson	...	Claire
Lisa Emery	...	Cynthia
Mimi Lieber	...	Friend at Restaurant
Yevgeniy Dekhtyar	...	Hotel Receptionist
Boris Leskin	...	Donor
Gregory Korostishevsky	...	Igor
Michael Aronov	...	Mafioso
Sasha Luzanov	...	Video Store Salesman
Yuliya Yakovleva	...	Beautician (as Youlia Yakovleva)
Tatyana Egorova	...	Factory Supervisor (as Tatyana Eyorova)
Svetlana Kireyeva	...	Landlord (as Svetlana Kireeva)
David Spearman	...	Young Soldier
Michael Stuhlbarg	...	Hedge Fund Consultant
Tom Stearns	...	Man Extracting Neurons
Seth Austin	...	Androgynous Person
Max McGuire	...	Androgynous Person
Edward Thomas	...	Androgynous Person
Joseph Scott	...	Old Man
Stella Stark	...	Paul's Mother
David Maynes	...	Young Paul
Dominique De Bourgknecht	...	Pregnant Mother
Adrian Lallemand	...	Baby Paul
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Flo Ankah	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Joseph Basile	...	Military Cadet (uncredited)
Marie-Pierre Beausejour	...	Sonya (uncredited)
Kevin Cannon	...	Angry Protestor (uncredited)
Erin Cronican	...	Assistant to Director (uncredited)
Fabrizia Dal Farra	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Alexandra Donhoeffner	...	Ballerina (uncredited)
Elli	...	Russian Airline Passenger (uncredited)
John Farrer	...	Dream Sequence Violinist (uncredited)
Gabriel Furman	...	Russian Soap Doctor (uncredited)
Polina Gorman	...	Sophisticated Prostitute (uncredited)
Jeannette Gould	...	Marya in Uncle Vanya (uncredited)
Stanley Krajewski	...	Factory Worker (uncredited)
Bobby Lundon	...	Sleeping Student (uncredited)
Abe Mendel	...	Locker Room Man (uncredited)
Anna Orisik	...	Society Lioness (uncredited)
Wendy Rich Stetson	...	Soul Storage Mother (uncredited)

Directed by
Sophie Barthes

Writing credits (WGA)
Sophie Barthes		(written by)

Produced by
Daniel Carey	....	producer (as Dan Carey)
Elizabeth Giamatti	....	producer
John Hynansky	....	executive producer
Alexandre Mallet-Guy	....	co-producer
D.J. Martin	....	executive producer
Paul Mezey	....	producer
Andrij Parekh	....	producer
James Shifren	....	executive producer
Natalya Smirnova	....	line producer: Russia (as Natasha Smirnova)
Jeremy Kipp Walker	....	producer

Original Music by
Dickon Hinchliffe

Cinematography by
Andrij Parekh

Film Editing by
Andrew Mondshein

Casting by
Daniel Swee

Production Design by
Beth Mickle

Art Direction by
Michael Ahern

Set Decoration by
Ipek Celik

Costume Design by
Erin Benach

Makeup Department
Lisa DelleChiaie	....	key hair stylist
Tamara Freed	....	hair stylist: Russia
Tamara Freed	....	makeup artist: Russia
David Kalahiki	....	key makeup artist
Johnny Mooi	....	additional hair stylist
Rondi Scott	....	additional makeup artist
Yelena Vasilyeva	....	assistant hair stylist: Russia (as Elena Vasiljeva)
Yelena Vasilyeva	....	assistant makeup artist: Russia (as Elena Vasiljeva)
Joanna L. Wong	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Louise Lovegrove	....	unit production manager
Maxim Volodin	....	production manager: Saint-Petersburg

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Inna Braude	....	second assistant director: St. Petersburg
Inna Braude	....	second second assistant director
Mariela Comitini	....	first assistant director
Sarah Gottlieb	....	second assistant director
Kira Sinelshikova	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Matthew Amenta	....	assistant property master
Richard Bailey	....	set dresser
Jeremy L. Balon	....	property master
Jared Bumgarner	....	leadman
Tessa Faulkner	....	art production assistant
Gina Freedman	....	on-set dresser
Brian Goodwin	....	carpenter
Rachel Jones	....	art department coordinator
Calen Kennett	....	soul extractor crew
Daniel R. Kersting	....	assistant set dresser
Dan-ah Kim	....	assistant set decorator
Eric Lahey	....	soul extractor
David Lahey-Murphy	....	soul extractor crew
David A. Loitz	....	soul extractor crew
Andy Paiko	....	soul extractor crew
August Popkin	....	carpenter
Sarah Shriber	....	property intern
Becky Slane	....	scenic painter
Jonathan Sunderman	....	property assistant
John Vogt	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Rachel Chancey	....	foley supervisor
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gisburg	....	music editor
Dave Paterson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dave Paterson	....	supervising sound editor
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Mary Ellen Porto	....	dialog & adr editor
Waldo Valenzuela	....	sound re-recording mixer
Damian Volpe	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Morgan Miller	....	digital retouching
Jesse Morrow	....	fire artist
Jesse Morrow	....	visual effects artist
Joseph Ryals	....	digital film scanning and recording
Daniel Silverman	....	digital film scanning and recording
Kevin Vale	....	digital film scanning and recording

Camera and Electrical Department
Josh M. Allen	....	electrician
Adam B. Bell	....	still photographer
Carter Bissell	....	best boy electric
David Dutkus	....	grip
Ron Egozi	....	camera operator
Alexander Engel	....	rigging gaffer
Brian Harnick	....	additional grip
Kate Larose	....	first assistant camera
Frank Love	....	second assistant camera
Mike 'Electric' Mervilde Jr.	....	key grip
Smokey Nelson	....	additional photographer
Smokey Nelson	....	gaffer
Rome Petersson	....	swing
Aaron Randall	....	best boy grip
Stavros Toumanidis	....	loader
Christopher Vidaic	....	grip

Casting Department
Alena Garetovskaya	....	casting director: Russia
Meredith Jacobson	....	extras casting
Zoe E. Rotter	....	casting associate
Adam Vincentz	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tamara Cepeda	....	wardrobe production assistant
Caroline Flach	....	seamstress
Stephani Lewis	....	assistant costume designer
Emma Potter	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Victoria Anderson	....	colorist assistant
Andrew Blackwell	....	associate editor
Dana Bloder	....	digital intermediate producer
Jessica Elvin	....	on-line editor
Barbara Jean Kearney	....	digital intermediate executive producer
Jesse Morrow	....	smoke editor
Crystal Pei	....	colorist: dailies
Richie Roefaro	....	colorist assistant
Tim Stipan	....	digital intermediate colorist
Michael P. Whipple	....	digital intermediate engineer
Paul Zucker	....	additional editor

Music Department
Ali Friend	....	musician: double bass
Dickon Hinchliffe	....	orchestrator
Al Macaulay	....	musician: drums
Tracy McKnight	....	music supervisor
T. Colby Trane	....	music coordinator (as Colby Trane)
Sarah Wilson	....	musician: cello

Other crew
Rebecca Bernard	....	production assistant
Jeffrey A. Brown	....	location manager
Vince Brown	....	set production assistant
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Olenka Denysenko	....	script supervisor
Kristyn DiPane	....	production coordinator: Technicolor
Patrick Eaton	....	production assistant
Evan Engel	....	production assistant
Sandi Greenberg	....	production assistant
Eli Gurevich	....	production accountant
William Jackson	....	production assistant
Olga Kashirina	....	production coordinator: St.-Petersburg
Michael Kulak	....	production coordinator
Jeffrey Longo	....	assistant to producers
Anthony Lote	....	production assistant
Gabriella Ludlow	....	production legal
Jon Ryan McMahon	....	office intern
Christie Moreau	....	adr loop group
Rob Pellecchia	....	production counsel
Dmitry Pervushin	....	set translator
Dave Saltzman	....	production coordinator
Luke Tomalin Sherman	....	key production assistant
Matthew H. Wiesner	....	assistant location manager
Imran Yusufzai	....	accounting clerk

Thanks
Jonathan Bell	....	acknowledgment
Kelly Diaz	....	original artwork provided by
Craig Kestel	....	special thanks
Chase Palmer	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Samuel Goldwyn Films (presents)
• Two Lane Pictures (presents)
• Winner Arts (presents)
• Journeyman Pictures
• Touchy Feely Films
• Memento Films Production (in co-production with)
• arte France Cinéma (in co-production with)

Distributors

• IFA (2012) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Mares Filmes (2012) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Memento Films (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Wild Bunch Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• Castello Lopes Multimédia (2010) (Portugal) (all media)
• Cinemax (2010) (Hungary) (TV)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (2009) (Portugal) (all media)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Imagine Films Distribution (2009) (Belgium) (all media)
• Imagine Films Distribution (2009) (Luxembourg) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Midget Entertainment (2010) (Denmark) (all media)
• Monopole-Pathé (2009) (Switzerland) (all media)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2010) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2009) (USA) (all media)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2012) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transilvania Film (2009) (Romania) (all media)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Globus-film  production services: St.Petersburg
• IndieClear  script clearance
• RedStart Design  select jewelry

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for nudity and brief strong language

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #44960) | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Ontario) | UK:12A | Ireland:12A | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:9 | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Samuel Goldwyn Films

Trivia:

The film was inspired by a dream Sophie Barthes had in which Woody Allen discovers that his soul looks just like a chickpea. Barthes wrote the first draft with Allen in mind for the lead role.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Dmitri tells the actress not to worry that Paul's soul looks like and is the size of a chickpea, telling her that Al Pacino won three Oscars. Al Pacino has actually only won one Oscar (Best Actor in 1992, Scent of a Woman).

Quotes:

Giamatti - Paul:[Reading from yellow pages] Mini Storage, Pet Storage, Private Storage, Self Storage... Soul Storage.

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Soundtrack:

La Marée Haute

I loved this movie, and you will too. Here's why....

Often, attempts at satire or surrealism fall flat. The jokes are silly, or the situations not credible. But when they do work, they provide those unique gems of an experience that are hard to forget Such is the case for Cold Souls. Sophie Barthes did a magnificent job of making a surrealistic story credible, with serious characters, and involving emotions. Her camera work and lensing are impeccable, and the performance by Paul Giamati is so sincere and moving that it raises the movie. Sophie takes us through a world where one can have their soul removed, then shows us the consequences. And she does so in such a way as to keep the entire situation credible. This makes for a unique film experience, which is so refreshing.

The humor is amazing. Paul is such a terrific actor, he plays his satire with utter credibility, and in a profoundly moving way. That he is able to pull such credibility out of such situations is a testament to his acting ability. After seeing this, I now regard him as one of our best actors, period.

Everyone in the theater was laughing out loud at the cleaver humor and odd situations. If you're looking for wonderful, thought provoking entertainment, above the masses, I thoroughly recommend this movie.