Cosi

Year: 1996

Runtime: 102 mins

Language: English

Director: Mark Joffe

ComedyMusicRomanceDrama

Lewis, a young amateur theatre director, lands a job in a Sydney government program that uses drama to rehabilitate mentally ill patients. One resident insists on staging Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutte, even though none can sing or speak Italian. The ensuing chaos of rehearsals becomes a comic ordeal that unexpectedly bonds the patients and their director.

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Cosi (1996) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained

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Lewis Riley, a man adrift and lacking direction, struggles to hold down a job. He applies for a role as director/drama teacher at a mental hospital, where he is expected to produce a variety show aimed at the inmates’ abilities.

During auditions, manic-depressive Roy overwhelms the pushover Lewis, with Roy selecting the six cast members who will shape the show: Ruth, a suicidal woman whose rendition of “I’m So Excited” is dejected; Cherry, a woman prone to false claims of sexual harassment who lusts after Lewis; Julie, a recovering drug addict, the only one who can actually sing; Doug, a cat-burning pyromaniac; Henry, who is completely submissive to Roy; and Zac, an accordion player who aspires to play Ride of the Valkyries wearing a horned Viking helmet.

Together, they become the imperfect heartbeat of a plan to translate raw talent into performance, exploring how ambition and vulnerability collide within the institutional setting. The film uses this premise to examine power dynamics and the humanity of people inside an institution.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:12

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