"Cold War" another outstandingly atmospheric Epoch from Pawlikowski starring ultra-charismatic Joanna Kulig.

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2019)

Polish Director Pawel Pawlikowski's newest film "Cold War" recently a Best Foreign-Film nominee at the Academy Awards a few months back is a fascinating, historically-resonant and in many ways poignant and even quite-beautiful movie starring the fantastically charismatic (and multi-talented actress and singer) Joanna Kulig.
I remember considering director Pawlikowski's 2014 Academy Award winner 'Ida' to be a genuine cinematic masterpiece (ruminating on 'Ida' who had escaped the Holocaust hidden in a Catholic Convent, who later attempts to reconcile a deep and tragic 'persistence of memory').
Joanna Kulig I also remember from another historically-resonant and outstanding performance as a Polish resistance-fighter in the 2011 film "Remembrance" directed by Anna Justice.
In any case the film "Cold War" is a tremendous film working on many levels, primarily as Love Story between the musically-gifted singer 'Zula' (Joanna Kulig) and her artistic 'mentor' 'Wiktor' (Tomasz Kot) who is a talented pianist/arranger. Of course, since this film begins in the very late 1940's/early 1950's the Musical-theater scene in Poland is mostly sponsored/ and overseen by the Socialist-State and adherents therefore, 'Wiktor' and 'Zula' although vibrantly adventurous individuals (both artistically and otherwise) find their artistic 'voices' more than a bit squelched in the still Stalinist-leaning Poland (circa1952) and Wiktor launches an 'escape plan' for both Zula and himself to cross-over to France and pursue more liberated musical endeavors...... best laid plans.
The interesting thing about "Cold War" is that it most certainly does not follow a predictable narrative (and actually makes jumps in time and space: late 1940's Poland - 1952 East Berlin - 1954 Paris - 1955 Yugoslavia - 1957 Paris again - early 1960's Poland again),,,,,, each vignette from a specific time & place reflecting a Life-changing 'epoch' for one or both of the artist/ Lovers....... finding and losing Love (searching for deeper-connections) both for each other and for their cherished unfettered artistic-expression (and musical-creativity) which acts as a sort of 'Lifeline' throughout this film.
As with Pawel Pawlikowski's last film 'Ida' there is a pronounced and indelible feeling of tragic-authenticity with regards to the overpowering-shadow of "Cold War" timeframe in which especially creative & imaginative individuals had to constantly re-calibrate their appropriate level of 'expressiveness' to coincide with the whims of those totalitarian artistic-cultural overseers & bureaucrats. You most definitely receive the distinct feeling (especially from Joanna Kulig's vitally-empathic performance) that "Zula' and 'Wiktor' are both sensitive souls who just yearn to fully express their natural musical gifts... and their genuine love for each other without the State (or overbearing-bureaucrats) intervening in either the course of their 'Life or Art'
Note: the many 'musical' scenes interlaced thru this film (usually featuring ultra-charismatic Joanna Kulig, but also some Jazz artists in the mix for good measure) are quite vibrant and spectacular (even in humble B&W). Cinematography is also outstandingly atmospheric!