Ida

Profoundly raw, intensely disturbing.

Fabulous, just fabulous. Anxiously awaiting The Zone of Silence by Pawlikowski too. FYI, you can watch Ida for free on Tubi, if you don't have a lot of $ like me.

Wonderful movie with a great cinematography

Arthouse foreign movie that I cannot figure out why it is ranked so high? It is ok but nothing spectacular.

A quiet, understated, and devastating piece from Pawlikowski. Its bleak setting and minimal dialogue provide an insight into Eastern Europe post World War 2 as people learn how to deal with the atrocities committed and the eternal sense of nothingness from living under the Soviet Union. So little is said but so much can be taken away. Shoutout to the Gleesonator for the recommendation on this one

A very quiet and melancholic film, with very unique and insistent framing, static long shots, full of dead space and dead eyes of the characters. A story about identity, that tries to not show explicit sense of victimhood towards the events it portrays, which is admirable. The sorrow and pain are there but that's not what is in the foreground. What takes away from the movie is the opacity of the Ida herself. Even if it's the intent, in the best style of Bresson.

Never thought I'd see a Holocaust road movie drama, but here we are. A bleak yet very human film that gives the sensation that it is actively adhering to the 'every frame a painting' standard, Ida takes a distinctive view of one of the most prominent events in 20th-century history (the Holocaust), a subject that has been touched on near endlessly in cinema using any number of techniques. But here, Pawlikowski frames the tragedy as recent history - a festering wound to the survivors and an uncomfortable influence to the next generation, to whom it is at once both distant and impactful. Ida's own 'will she/won't she' internal debate as to whether she will take her vows as a nun, a decision that bookends the film's main plot, is well integrated with the exploration of her identity and the balance of forgiveness and retribution, but seeing her attempt to balance in high heels feels almost too obvious and simplistic compared to the rest of the film, if I'm honest; the crisis of religion is relatively conventional outside of the setting and particular influences of her surroundings. Gorgeously shot and well-acted, the film may attract the criticisms inherent to slow burn cinema, but brings back memories of the imagery and humanism of the films from the '60s and features a great chemistry from its two leads. (3/5)

A stunning film with the black and white presentation, lovely framing, and the quiet lingering shots that look like they could be framed in an art gallery. Reminded me quite a bit of fellow International Feature winner Roma in that regard. The whole thing is very quiet and understated, rather letting the cinematography and visuals do most of the talking. I would recommend it on that basis alone, especially at less than 90 minutes.

One of the best movies I've seen. Photography, scenario, personalities, everything in perfect combination.

young novice become corrupted by her alcoholic aunt but triumphs when she sees that it is empty.