In this metaphysical comedy in which souls can be extracted and traded as commodities, Paul Giamatti stars as himself, agonizing over his interpretation of Uncle Vanya in Chekhov's play. Paralyzed with anxiety, he stumbles upon a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by deep-freezing souls. He intends to reinstate his soul once he survives the performance but complications ensue when a soul-trafficking mule uses it for a talentless soap-opera actress. Rendered soulless, he is left with no choice but to follow the trail back to St. Petersburg.