Cold War (B or 3/4 stars)
Set in Europe btwn. 1949-1964, 'Cold War' (directed by Oscar-nominated Pawel Pawlikowski) details a romance as bleak as its setting. We 1st meet intense music director Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) & one of his peasant singers, Zula (Joanna Kulig), in rural, post-war Poland. Like the tumultuous world around them, they're trying to find a sense of normalcy and, as they tour the ravaged countryside with a song-&-dance show that focuses on traditional Polish folk music ... they fall in love. Happiness doesn't last long, however. Wiktor, recognizing that his art will be compromised by the country's new Socialist masters (he must incorporate a 'patriotic' song into the show while a Stalin banner is unfurled behind the singers), emigrates to Paris.
Scared, Zula decides not to accompany him. For yrs., they are on separate sides of the Iron Curtain until she orchestrates a way to join him in the Paris. The reunion is a happy one {and lustful}, but things soon turn dour. It is said that love simply isn't enough and, in Wiktor & Zula's case, this holds true. She becomes restless and, their love starts to feel like a bit of a prison for her. She drinks way too much, doesn't like the music record they create together, & wallows in misery. One reckless decision and they find themselves separated again; and this continues through the years. That said, neither of them can endure being away from the other for too long, & the cycle continues. Simply put, they cannot be happy together ... or apart. So what's to do?
'Cold War' exudes an elegant, understated power but, as the movie moves fleetingly across the yrs., I felt like we aren't given enough of actual STORY care about these characters as much as we should. The performances are lovely. I definitely can tell that these characters love each other. I recognize the deep sadness of their situation {can love overcome the turbulent time & place they live in?}. Hopeless, doomed love stories can be mighty powerful {and I tend to love wallowing in the misery & emotional despair, haha}. But, I don't know. At merely 80 min. in length, I felt like I just watched an edited version of a much longer, richer epic tragedy.
The movie looks INCREDIBLE -- evoking feelings of nostalgia throughout. Lukasz Zal, who also shot Pawlikowski's Oscar-winning Ida, provides pristine, painterly black-&-white cinematography that often made me feel like I was watching a film that was MADE in the era it was set in. Tomasz Kot gives a committed, soulful performance as Wiktor. And Joanna Kulig is not only old-world movie star beautiful, but she sings like an angel & hypnotizes with her nuanced acting. As mentioned earlier, I wanted more from the script FOR this couple, but their chemistry is palpable. Music plays a huge part of 'Cold War', as well. I found the Polish folk songs to be haunting. And then later, we're treated to a spirited version of "Rock Around the Clock".
'Cold War' is a tricky film to praise in that, there are truths in the love story here that many lesser romantic dramas contain, and yet, some of those lesser dramas work much better as mainstream, relatable entertainment than THIS movie could ever hope to be. Pawel Pawlikowski used his own parents' love story as inspiration for his script & the film is dedicated to them. That's very nice. But I almost wonder if he was too hesitant to give this cold, austere film any kind of warm flourishes or padded happenstance to flesh things out a bit; it's like he didn't want to dishonor his parents' love with 'all the extras'. But in doing that, though I admire the film for its parts, I really missed the connective tissue from segment to segment that would've made me care more.
Scared, Zula decides not to accompany him. For yrs., they are on separate sides of the Iron Curtain until she orchestrates a way to join him in the Paris. The reunion is a happy one {and lustful}, but things soon turn dour. It is said that love simply isn't enough and, in Wiktor & Zula's case, this holds true. She becomes restless and, their love starts to feel like a bit of a prison for her. She drinks way too much, doesn't like the music record they create together, & wallows in misery. One reckless decision and they find themselves separated again; and this continues through the years. That said, neither of them can endure being away from the other for too long, & the cycle continues. Simply put, they cannot be happy together ... or apart. So what's to do?
'Cold War' exudes an elegant, understated power but, as the movie moves fleetingly across the yrs., I felt like we aren't given enough of actual STORY care about these characters as much as we should. The performances are lovely. I definitely can tell that these characters love each other. I recognize the deep sadness of their situation {can love overcome the turbulent time & place they live in?}. Hopeless, doomed love stories can be mighty powerful {and I tend to love wallowing in the misery & emotional despair, haha}. But, I don't know. At merely 80 min. in length, I felt like I just watched an edited version of a much longer, richer epic tragedy.
The movie looks INCREDIBLE -- evoking feelings of nostalgia throughout. Lukasz Zal, who also shot Pawlikowski's Oscar-winning Ida, provides pristine, painterly black-&-white cinematography that often made me feel like I was watching a film that was MADE in the era it was set in. Tomasz Kot gives a committed, soulful performance as Wiktor. And Joanna Kulig is not only old-world movie star beautiful, but she sings like an angel & hypnotizes with her nuanced acting. As mentioned earlier, I wanted more from the script FOR this couple, but their chemistry is palpable. Music plays a huge part of 'Cold War', as well. I found the Polish folk songs to be haunting. And then later, we're treated to a spirited version of "Rock Around the Clock".
'Cold War' is a tricky film to praise in that, there are truths in the love story here that many lesser romantic dramas contain, and yet, some of those lesser dramas work much better as mainstream, relatable entertainment than THIS movie could ever hope to be. Pawel Pawlikowski used his own parents' love story as inspiration for his script & the film is dedicated to them. That's very nice. But I almost wonder if he was too hesitant to give this cold, austere film any kind of warm flourishes or padded happenstance to flesh things out a bit; it's like he didn't want to dishonor his parents' love with 'all the extras'. But in doing that, though I admire the film for its parts, I really missed the connective tissue from segment to segment that would've made me care more.