Posted by Josh Lipovetsky in 
What if you could sell your soul on Ebay, and buy someone else’s? How do you feel about that? Well, the movie ‘Cold Souls’ digs deep into this question. It is about an actor named Paul Giamatti (acting as himself), who is fed up with his life. He feels physical pain from his job frustration, he is losing his acting ability, and everything seems to be out of place in his life. That is, until he discovers a radical new idea called “Soul Storage”. It gives Giamatti a chance to have a better life. To live without a soul.
Let’s dig deeper into this concept: Living without a soul. What would it be like? The way that it’s portrayed in ‘Cold Souls’, reminds me of the side effects of anti-depressants (or so I’ve heard). You don’t feel bad, but you don’t feel good. You just feel…nothing. And what kind of life is that? Honestly, I would rather suffer than have no soul. Soulful suffering > soulless tranquility.
But of course, if I was playing the role, there would be no film. Alas, the show must continue. Giamatti proceeds to surrender his soul, and he is instantly freed from all of his painful emotional burdens. But eventually, he discovers that soulless living is not what it’s cracked up to be. By the time he is ready to get his soul back, it is already gone!
This metaphor speaks to a lot of us; myself included. By the time we are ready to have something back, it is taken from us. I would most definitely like my life back, before my Crohn’s Disease. But that’s probably not gonna happen. What we need to realize, is that all of our problems are there for a reason. We can’t just extract a piece of ourselves, and expect to be happy-dandy. There was never a time in any of our lives, when we were free of problems. Having a soul is hard work. There are an incredible amount of emotions we feel every day, that are indescribable in any language. If we didn’t have a soul, then everything would be drab, lifeless, and boring. Life would lose all meaning.
When Paul Giamatti can’t find his soul, he decides to take a trip to Russia, where he knows it is located. Giamatti tries to bargain with the owner of the Russian ’soul storage’ operation, but he doesn’t budge. Giamatti steals back his soul.
I have to hand it to the filmmakers. This film is unique! Never, have I heard the concept of an open market for souls. This film is complete fiction (I hope!), but it conveys a very powerful message. You can never escape your problems, and there is no quick fix. No one truly knows the power of the soul, or any post-life implications that it has. What we do know, is that life is short. 70-80 years, and you’re not even guaranteed THAT! Make the most of what you have. Find a real way to deal with your problems. Read a book, or a blog. There will always be a ton of questions about your life. You just have to be persistent and willing to find a solution.
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