Get On the Trailer: Cosmopolis

Trailer Review: Cosmopolis
Opening August 17, 2012
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, Juliette Binoche

Drawing from Marxist theory, economist Joseph Shumpeter popularized the concept of creative destruction which argues that capitalism is dependent upon a continuing cycle of death and rebirth. Drawing from novelist Don Delillo’s dyspeptic take on venture/vulture capitalism, director David Cronenberg presents a vision of the near future in which the world is on the brink of economic collapse. From the safety of his techno-sarcophagus limousine, billionaire Eric Packer, played by the laconic Robert Pattinson, trolls the global markets and the streets of New York for opportunities. He sees the world he’s had a hand in destroying through tinted glass and only interacts with actual people when it’s in his interest. Empty by design, Cronenberg’s avatar of creative destruction continually devours the world in search of profits, but he hungers for more than mere consumption. Numb to the pain of destruction he inflicts upon the world, Packer creates fleeting feeling for himself in pushing the limits of his own survival. With nothing new to consume, Packer feasts upon his ruination.