Cosmopolis (2012)

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

David Cronenberg (screenplay)
Don DeLillo (novel)

Release Date:

25 May 2012 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Riding across Manhattan in a stretch limo in order to get a haircut, a 28-year-old billionaire asset manager's day devolves into an odyssey with a cast of characters that start to tear his world apart.

Plot Keywords:

Haircut | Billionaire | Woman On Top | Taxi Driver | Anarchist

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Robert Pattinson	...	Eric Packer
Sarah Gadon	...	Elise Shifrin
Paul Giamatti	...	Benno Levin
Kevin Durand	...	Torval
Abdul Ayoola	...	Ibrahim Hamadou
Juliette Binoche	...	Didi Fancher
Emily Hampshire	...	Jane Melman
Bob Bainborough	...	Dr. Ingram
Samantha Morton	...	Vija Kinsky
Zeljko Kecojevic	...	Danko
Jay Baruchel	...	Shiner
Philip Nozuka	...	Michael Chin
Mathieu Amalric	...	André Petrescu
Patricia McKenzie	...	Kendra Hays
Ryan Kelly	...	Rat Man #1
Nadeem Umar-Khitab	...	Rat Man #2
Albert Gomez	...	Counterman (as Alberto Gomez)
Gouchy Boy	...	Kosmo Thomas
David Schaap	...	Arthur Rapp
Warren Chow	...	Arthur's Attacker
George Touliatos	...	Anthony Adubato
Jadyn Wong	...	Cathy Lee
K'Naan	...	Brutha Fez
Inessa Frantowski	...	Woman Holding Rat
Jonathan Seinen	...	Man on Fire
Milton Barnes	...	Videographer #1
John Batkis	...	Photographer #1
Saad Siddiqui	...	Photographer #2
Anna Hardwick	...	Photographer #3 - Jenn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paulette Sinclair	...	Bag Lady (uncredited)

Directed by
David Cronenberg

Writing credits
David Cronenberg		(screenplay)
Don DeLillo		(novel)

Produced by
Joseph Boccia	....	line producer
Paulo Branco	....	producer
Edouard Carmignac	....	executive producer
Walter Gasparovic	....	associate producer
Martin Katz	....	producer
Gregoire Melin	....	executive producer
Renee Tab	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Howard Shore

Cinematography by
Peter Suschitzky

Film Editing by
Ronald Sanders

Casting by
Deirdre Bowen

Production Design by
Arvinder Grewal

Art Direction by
Joshu de Cartier

Costume Design by
Denise Cronenberg

Makeup Department
Chris Bridges	....	special makeup effects artist
Stacey Butterworth	....	wigmaker: Paul Giamatti
Stephan Dupuis	....	makeup designer
Paul R.J. Elliot	....	key hair stylist (as Paul Elliot)
Seth Rossman	....	assistant special makeup effects artist
Sondra Treilhard	....	assistant hair stylist
Dorota Zajac	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Joseph Boccia	....	production manager
Frederic Jupin	....	post-production supervisor: Eclair Numérique
Anne Mattatia	....	post-production supervisor
Robin M. Reelis	....	production manager
Lori A. Waters	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Boem	....	second assistant director
Matt Coatsworth	....	trainee assistant director
Tim Cushen	....	trainee assistant director
Jonathan Gajewski	....	assistant director
Justin Gajewski	....	assistant director
Walter Gasparovic	....	first assistant director
Kevin Hennelly	....	third assistant director
Gerrod Shully	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Ron Hewitt	....	property master
Jon Hunter	....	graphic designer
Michael Huschka	....	assistant property master
Marc Kuitenbrouwer	....	construction coordinator
Matthew Lammerich	....	key scenic artist
Patricia Larman	....	set decoration buyer
Jennifer MacDonald	....	assistant art director (as Jennifer C. MacDonald)
Shaun Martens	....	second assistant art director
Matt Middleton	....	set designer
Brad Milburn	....	set designer
Vicki Pui	....	illustrator
Farrah Yip	....	art department apprentice

Sound Department
Jonathan Acbard	....	boom operator
Pierre Bariaud	....	foley editor
Nicolas Becker	....	foley artist
Rob Bertola	....	sound editor
Gavin Coford	....	second boom operator
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Nicolas Fioraso	....	foley artist
Alastair Gray	....	dialogue/adr editor
Vincent Gregorio	....	dubbing editor
Wayne Griffin	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Michel Monier	....	sound consultant: dolby
Jean-Paul Mugel	....	sound mixer
Michael O'Farrell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael O'Farrell	....	supervising sound editor
Julien Perez	....	foley mixer
Brandon Prodger	....	adr mixer
Olivier Roche	....	sound mix technician
Jean-Christophe Sabatier	....	french dubbing recordist
Ric Schnupp	....	adr recordist
Orest Sushko	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregorio Vincent	....	dubbing editor
Fanny Weinzaepflen	....	sound re-recording mix trainee
Tim West	....	adr mixer

Special Effects by
Warren Appleby	....	special effects coordinator
Sam Hudecki	....	motion graphics
John MacGillivray	....	special effects foreman
Fiona MacPherson	....	special effects shop coordinator
Cameron Patterson	....	shop supervisor
Cameron Patterson	....	special effects shop supervisor
Daniel White	....	special effects key

Visual Effects by
Barb Benoit	....	digital compositor
Wilson Cameron	....	visual effects producer
Andy Chan	....	visual effects compositor: Mr. X Inc.
Joseph Cheng Chen	....	tracking and layout
James Cooper	....	lead vxf artist
Devin Dawkins	....	digital artist
Devin Dawkins	....	visual effects
Michael DiCarlo	....	visual effects coordinator: on set
Eddie Englander	....	compositor
David Fix	....	senior systems administrator: Mr. X Inc.
Naomi Foakes	....	visual effects coordinator
Vinay Goenka	....	digital compositor
Oliver Hearsey	....	tracking supervisor: Mr. X Inc.
Anna Joukova	....	digital compositor: Mr.X Inc
Lince K.F.	....	digital artist
Matthew Lajoie	....	visual effects artist
Jesh Murthy	....	visual effects
Kelly Noordermeer	....	visual effects editorial assistant: Mr. X Inc
Anna Pacchioni	....	roto artist
Alessandro Pantanella	....	digital compositor
Rahul Roy	....	compositor
Ian Spriggs	....	senior character modeler
Kamal Kumar Tiwari	....	compositor
Aaron Weintraub	....	visual effects operations: Mr. X Inc.
Matt 'Readyman' Whelan	....	digital lighter: Mr X
Owen Williams	....	digital compositor
Wojciech Zielinski	....	visual effects supervisor
Celine Zoleta	....	production assistant: Mr. X

Stunts
Dustin Brooks	....	stunt safety
Chad Camilleri	....	stunt performer
Brett Chan	....	stunt performer
Lauro Chartrand	....	stunt performer
Colin Decker	....	stunt safety
Flint Eagle	....	stunt performer
Brayden Jones	....	stunt performer
Riley Jones	....	stunt performer
Angelica Lisk-Hann	....	stunt performer (as Angelica Lisk)
Regan Moore	....	stunt performer
Layton Morrison	....	additional stunt coordinator
Layton Morrison	....	stunt coordinator
Layton Morrison	....	stunt performer
Efosa Otuomagie	....	stunt performer (as Efosa Outamagie)
Dan Shea	....	stunt performer
John Stoneham Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
John Stoneham Sr.	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Archer	....	daily grip
Barrett Axford	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
David Breeze	....	gaffer
Rocky Brown	....	electrician
Caitlin Cronenberg	....	still photographer
Patrick King	....	crane operator
Jasper Vrakking	....	digital imaging technician
Ian C. Harris	....	rigging best boy electric (uncredited)

Casting Department
Christopher Richards	....	casting associate
Jane Spencer	....	extras casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Patricia Boulden	....	costume supervisor
Christina Cattle	....	set costume supervisor
Jennifer Evans	....	costume buyer
Susan Nycz	....	costume truck supervisor
Anne Peiponen	....	extras costume coordinator (as Ann Peiponen)
Alan St. Germain	....	assistant extras coordinator

Editorial Department
Kevin Downer	....	digital intermediate editor
Karim El Katari	....	color timer: Eclair
Mary Juric	....	assistant editor
Vanessa Lafaille	....	digital image coordinator
Rui Martins	....	digital dailies
Dave Muscat	....	digital intermediate assistant editor
Sandy Pereira	....	first assistant editor
Emma Sanders	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Amy Baer	....	music preparation
Jennifer L. Dunnington	....	music editor
Alan Frey	....	music production coordinator
Metric	....	music performed by
John O'Mahony	....	score mixer
James Sizemore	....	music programmer

Transportation Department
John Ozlins	....	transportation coordinator
Regina Petrik	....	driver
Regina Popp	....	driver
Dave Wilson	....	picture car captain

Other crew
Leor Boshi	....	production assistant
Dillon Bowman	....	production assistant
Laurent Boye-Guérin	....	international festival publicity team: telefilm canada (as Laurent Boye)
Jared Burton	....	location production assistant
Paul Chodirker	....	legal services
Shaun Coughlin	....	assistant accountant
Ken Dhaliwal	....	finance legal
John Gaskin	....	production accountant
Melissa Girotti	....	production supervisor
Daniel L. Goldenberg	....	legal counsel
Lon J. Hall	....	legal counsel
Jeffrey Hawkes	....	assistant to mr. pattinson
Eugene Henry	....	assistant: Mr. Katz
Sara Holmes	....	post production accountant
Richard Hughes	....	location manager
Joe Iacono	....	financial consultant and auditor
Miriam Laurence	....	dialect coach
Chantal Leblanc-Everett	....	production assistant
Lisa Mahal	....	assistant: Mr. Cronenberg
Eleanor Mendes	....	production coordinator
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Trevor Pickett	....	production assistant
John Rakich	....	assistant location manager
Archie Rodrigues	....	travel agent
Dug Rotstein	....	script supervisor
Julita Santos	....	production assistant
Cristiana Sena	....	production assistant
Lisa Shamata	....	unit publicist
Christiane Sommermeier	....	marketing
Justin Stephenson	....	titles design director
Claire Tomasini	....	production assistant
Vanessa Whittaker	....	assistant production coordinator

Production Companies

• Alfama Films
• Prospero Pictures
• Kinology (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Talandracas (co-production)
• Téléfilm Canada (co-production)
• Leopardo Filmes (co-production)
• Canal+ (support)
• Rai Cinema (support)
• Radiotelevisão Portuguesa (RTP) (support)
• Jouror Productions (co-producer)

Distributors

• Distribution Company (2012) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2012) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2012) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2012) (UK) (theatrical)
• Entertainment One (2012) (USA) (theatrical)
• Falcom Media (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2012) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Icon Film Distribution (2012) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Miracle Voice (2013) (Japan) (theatrical) (in association with)
• Showgate (2013) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Stone Angels (2012) (France) (theatrical)
• Village Films (2012) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2012) (Spain) (theatrical)
• 01 Distribution (2012) (Italy) (all media)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2011) (Switzerland) (all media)
• Aurum Distribution (2012) (Estonia) (all media)
• Aurum Distribution (2012) (Latvia) (all media)
• Belga Home Vidéo (2012) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Entertainment One Benelux (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Leopardo Filmes (2012) (Portugal) (all media)
• Mongkol Major (2012) (Thailand) (all media)
• Stone Angels (2012) (France) (DVD)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bangladesh) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Bhutan) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (India) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Nepal) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Pakistan) (all media)
• Tanweer Films (2011) (Sri Lanka) (all media)
• Vicol Entertainment (2013) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Vicol Entertainment (2013) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Mr. X (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cohen & Gardner  production legal
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Hall Webber  legal services
• Howe Records  soundtrack
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• Klass Security and Investigations  location security
• Picturecars North  picture vehicle supplier
• Pinewood Toronto Studios  stages
• Studio Line  sound post-production (ISDN/ADR)
• Tattersall Sound  Avid rentals
• Tattersall Sound  post-production facilities
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for some strong sexual content including graphic nudity, violence and language

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

Canada | France | Portugal | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:16 | UK:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Italy:T | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Netherlands:16 | Czech Republic:15 | Germany:12 (f) | Australia:MA15+ (2012) | Hong Kong:III | Brazil:16 | Japan:R15+ | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alfama Films

Trivia:

Colin Farrell was originally cast but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts with his movie Total Recall (2012). He was replaced by Robert Pattinson.

Quotes:

Benno Levin:I wanna be known as Benno!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Citizens of Cosmopolis (2012) (V)

Soundtrack:

Long to Live

Unpredictable absurd comedy, perfect midnight movie

"And a rat became the unit of currency."

I loved it, but it won't be for everyone. This is most definitely a midnight movie. It's a challenging and dense movie, not much of a plot, with the focus on lots of talking and long shots. A neo noir in looks and feel about corporations, capitalism, the future, rats as currency, and a highly philosophical, self-destructive corporate analyst of some clandestine organization simply called "Complex".

From the first shot to the last, you're always following Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) in nearly every scene, so everything's seen from his perspective. It's mostly a single-location movie where Eric talks to random dudes related to his company or any woman in his white stretch cyber-pimped limo with an huge protest in the background. Oh man, it looks awesome and gets messed up over the course of the film. If you're a fan of David Mamet and Richard Linklater's works like Before Sunset, Waking Life, Glengarry Glen Ross, and especially Edmond (another great midnight neo- noir), you'll feel comfortable with the pacing. A lot of talking, one- takes, long takes, of people talking about very dense corporate details with not much sense that might go over your head in a first watch. It feels very much based off a play or novel where incredibly verbose characters pontificate about corporations, the world, and time in weirdly absurd conversations. But it's not a film where all those cinematic techniques are evident or shoved into your face, I just happened to notice he had been talking to a sweaty jogger of a mother who's also Eric's chief of finance while he had his prostate examined in his limo for 6 straight minutes.

Eric Packer is a cold, alienated, and highly self-destructive almost- sociopath who goes on about the philosophy of time, corporations, how the world works, violence, and any other topic. His character reminded me heavily of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) in American Psycho, just without all the 90s pop culture and music references. The self-destructive and hedonistic urges of upper class socialites is evident in most Cronenberg movies, and Eric is no different. The dude's bored with the world, disillusioned, and is a thrill seeker just so he can feel real while he spends most of his time in a purgatory-like limo. Like most of these heavy talking movies, the plot is sparse and it's just Eric wants to get to a barber for a haircut which hints that it's an absurd satire/comedy. He's adamant of making the trek in his white cyber limo eternally stuck in New York traffic over a whole day that goes into night instead of just walking across the street which would only take 5 min. It's almost an absurd comedy at times, like having his prostate examined in his limo by his personal doctor while talking to someone, or he and Benno (Paul Giamatti) casually shooting up an apartment and at each other with futuristic guns in the weirdest Mexican standoff. How he's so stubborn about staying in his limo even though some big, distractive "imminent scenario" is about to happen. How funny it is people related to his Complex company just happen to see his limo and jump in for a long convo.

Robert Pattinson is a captivating actor to watch, and the camera is transfixed to his face even when it's cream-pied later on thanks to an anarchist protester or "pastry assassin" played by Mathieu Amalric (Quantum of Solace, Diving Bell and the Butterfly). There's another famous French actor here with Juliette Binoche (Certified Copy, Three Colors: Blue) playing a highly sexual 41 year old "friend". This is a challenging role for Pattinson, not really for the character he plays of an upper class corporate man, but how he spars against highly experienced, well-known actors in very long single takes or one-shots. Actors just acting a lot in that stage-y way. These actors seem to come and go with not much of an arc between their characters except for a couple, as is the case with most of these heavy talking movies more focused on the journey (Waking Life, Edmond).

It's a bizarre movie, one that will require quite a few re-watches just to get the nuances of the incredibly dense and fast flowing conversations. Also, the rat protesters reminded me of eXistenZ, and the film works almost as a counter-point to that movie where instead of the anarchists, we're on the side of corporate.

I can see some people not liking the movie just because of the pacing and heavy talking nature of it, but being in love with such midnight stage-y movies like Edmond, or talky Richard Linklater films I was not as confused. The verbose conversations can only have been based off a novel. Samantha Morton as Eric's "Chief of Theory" talks about stuff you won't understand on first watch, and is emblematic of how the film's dialog gives more than you can handle, which is why I can see Cosmopolis being ripe for rewatchability. It's really an absurd comedy and satire at times with a pretty serious and cool ending scene with Paul Giamatti. People who were expecting Cronenberg's early body horror might be disappointed although there are some choice moments, but the film's definitely in his older speculative techno sci-fi style.

"My prostate's asymmetrical."