Ida (2014)
Despite the vast majority of foreign language films flying under the radar every year getting a disappointing lack of attention, there is always a couple that ends up breaking out being in the conversation of the best films of the year. Even rarer than that, every decade a select few foreign filmmakers captivate audiences with their body of work with one from the 2010s being Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski who got introduced to many for his 2014 film Ida. Following a young girl named Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) who was raised as a nun and goes to meet her only living relative, her Aunt named Wanda (Agata Kulesza) who reveals previously unknown details about their family sending Anna on a journey for answers and closure.
When watching Pawlikowski's recent works, the first thing that stands out is the visual style that the films embrace. Ida was the debut of Pawlikowski's cold black and white aesthetic that helps not only make the film stand out visually but adds a melancholic beauty to all elements of the film which is key for the film to be as impactful as it is. The shot composition is truly inspired with Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski constantly looking for fresh and unique ways to shoot the film that never feels distracting; rightfully earning the film a Best Cinematography nomination at the 87th Academy Awards. It also is clear that the directing from Paweł Pawlikowski goes a long way in highlighting the beauty of certain scenes. Pawlikowski creates legitimate emotion in grounded and seemingly nonchalant setups such as dancing at a bar which makes the character and the world in which they inhabit feel grounded and realistic. This is a stylistic element of Pawlikowski which would be master further in his 2018 follow up Cold War.
From a thematic point of view, Pawlikowski continues his tradition of looking at the haunting consequences of major controlling forces this time choosing to focus on relationships with religion rather than the government as in Cold War. Anna's travels with Wanda is giving the young girl her first real exposure to the world outside of the church whether it is the freedom and potential for happiness or the potential for pain and fear. The eventual conclusion the film reaches feels satisfying for this mature and complex exploration of the topic and help keeps the film on audiences' minds long after the film ends. One of the reasons this feels so well explored is the characters that explore their relationships with the topic. Anna naturally becomes the focus in this conversation being the one who grew up surrounded by religion in a covenant, but her aunt which accompanies her on their journey also has something to hard to the conversation giving a vastly different perspective that pushes the conversation even further. This is a conversation without much judgment or clear motivations but rather just allows characters to share their theologies and emotions and presenting that to the audience to connect with whatever they naturally would.
Ida might not get the same attention as Cold War but still serves as an effective and defining film for the career of Paweł Pawlikowski. Ida showcases his insane talent for building captivating emotional stories in a clean and condensed runtime with Ida only running 82-minutes. For those touched by Cold War or those who want to be exposed to powerful foreign cinema, Ida is absolutely worth checking out and really impresses as one of the most beautiful films of 2014.
Ida might not get the same attention as Cold War but still serves as an effective and defining film for the career of Paweł Pawlikowski. Ida showcases his insane talent for building captivating emotional stories in a clean and condensed runtime with Ida only running 82-minutes. For those touched by Cold War or those who want to be exposed to powerful foreign cinema, Ida is absolutely worth checking out and really impresses as one of the most beautiful films of 2014.