Review of Cold War (2018) by Ahmedaiman1999 — 28 Jan 2019

I feel as if I was watching La La Land (my favorite Romance film, and one of my all-time favorite movies), except that I wasn't invested in the "love story" even for a single moment! Simply because the romantic relationship between the two main characters is not clearly illustrated and surprisingly very shallow. I even couldn't understand why their love is so strong; why these people are so stuck to each other. I would have been more convinced that they fell in love with each other if their love was at-first-sight kind of love. But their love is even more corny and superficial than I could have ever imagined. They continue to move all the time and make love and argue, while there is not enough emotional heft to their relationship. The movie never even delves into the romantic aspect; it only displays the parts that unit the "lovers" before driving them apart again. And I honestly wasn't invested neither in the characters, nor their relationship and the obstacles they face over the years. It comes as no surprise that the movie becomes boring at some point. Yes, that means that I wasn't bored per se all the way through the movie, and that's for some reasons.

For starters, the cinematography is simply awe-inspiring! Every scene is one of breathtaking beauty. The black-and-white color style creates a romantic and nostalgic atmosphere that tricked me that I would enjoy a love story that fits its setup. Cold War hands down deserves an Oscar for best cinematography, despite the fact that there are many 2018 films I've seen that look astonishing. Cold War has a truly striking visual aesthetic.

In the beginning of the movie, Pawel Pawlikowski skillfully showed us the life in Poland after the war and the folklore culture. The nostalgic sense and the illustration of another culture in another era are so pure and genuine. Let alone the mesmerizing singing scenes that serve as small feasts for the senses.

As for the "political" territory that the movie tackles, it's equally superficial and flat as the romantic aspect. Nevertheless, I was surprised that I cared about this "capitalist world" more than I cared about the romance between Zula and Wiktor, considering the fact I'm not into politics at all.

Both the two leads, Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot, elevated their colorless characters by delivering powerhouse performances that were enough to make me not hate Zula and Wiktor.

I was prepared to see a masterpiece, and now I really feel that I've been cheated. Cold War left me COLD! And I'm thoroughly underwhelmed by it.