Review - Ida

Ida is gorgeous. But that's all about it.

Ida is simply breathtaking in terms of cinematography.

Director Paweł Pawlikowski's Oscar-winner Ida is one of the most uniquely shot movies - beautiful but unfortunately, emotionally inert. Set in 1960s post-war Poland, Ida tells story of a nun who discovers her true identity as a Jew, whose family was murdered in World War 2. She, along with her aunt, embarks on a journey to find the truth behind the murders.

Ida, played fittingly by debutante Agata Trzebuchowska, is naive and unlearnt of the world, while her aunt Wanda Gruz (brilliant Agata Kulezsa) is a cynic and worldly. Ida is repeatedly told to have a taste of physical pleasures by Gruz before she takes her vows - the notion Ida rejects. The pair travels place to place, trying to put things together. Disturbed after the discovery of Ida's parents' graves near the end, Gruz commits suicide - leaving Ida unenthusiastic about her convent life. Unsure about her oath, she accepts her impulses and indulges in worldly desires. But, understanding the hollowness of normal life, she goes back to her convent and apparently restarts her life as a nun. 

The script doesn't attempts to flesh out its plot, nor the screenwriters aim to do so. Ida is clearly a character-study about the tremors felt in Polish lives after World-War 2 - depicted through the lead pairs. The film is largely devoid of dialogues and the pace is slow, which may challenge non-arthouse viewers. The major events in the film are handled in a very subtle manner, having no scope of dramatization. Due to all this, Ida feels sluggish, cold (literally) and distant.

But one thing in which Ida shines is its gorgeous black and white cinematography - it is one of the best photographed films of recent times. Many shots in the film are off-center - the characters are filmed at the bottom of the frame while rest of the frame is filled with the environment in which the characters are present, evoking certain sense of isolation. This technique also evokes minuteness of the characters in the environment they are in. Each shot is carefully composed, the lines are perfectly aligned- almost like a painting. Although cinematography is undoubtedly brilliant, it is also obtrusive and many times distracting you from what is happening onscreen. 

To sum up, Ida is a good film, but it never affects you on an emotional level. It is beautiful and atmospheric but without any dramatic punch. Like a showreel of some high-profile cinematographer, Ida may elicit many "wows" but won't tear up your eyes. 

3/5

Review - August: Osage County

Except for the obviously contrived plot, August: Osage County delivers a powerful punch. 

"I thought we were having a funeral dinner not a cockfight"

August: Osage County, based on a play by Tracy Letts, which is about a dysfunctional family in turmoil times - is fueled with surplus theatrics and melodrama. Yet fortunately, it never goes overboard. Starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in the lead roles, the film is full of fireworks, presenting the actors with the opportunity to showcase their immense talent.

With an ensemble cast with likes of Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Margo Martindale and others, Osage County is a basically an actor's film - instead of direction, screen-writing or any other filmmaking aspect, the film is completely on actors' shoulders. Fortunately, all the cast members are in top of their game. Martindale, Julianne Nicholson and Cumberbatch are worth mentioning here - it is extremely difficult being noticed by the audience, particularly when both Streep and Roberts are on fire, let alone being impactful. 

And about the leads, the more you praise them is less. Like a tennis match near its match point, Streep and Roberts' performances are full of power and energy which will blow your mind away. Hammy you may call it, but the script demands for it. Both of them chew the scenery literally and their performance is what drives the entire film.

There is a dinner sequence in August: Osage County which displays the family hitting the rock bottom. It starts off with grilling, then it shifts to humiliation and finally hysteria. The entire sequence feels somewhat contrived - the entire film for that matter. As if, all the plot's dark twists and unrealistic scenarios are there for actors to flex their acting muscles and wow the audience. On a very basic level, the plotline for Osage County isn't bad by any means - but its way too much dysfunctional to be real. The script, however does provides us with characters having flesh and bones, rather than cardboard cutouts, which is commendable.

Filmed remarkably well by Adriano Goldman, you can feel the heat of mid-western summer inside and out. The outside shots in Osage County are calm and serene, which are in complete contrast to the chaos inside. The scenes are mostly awash with yellow and sepia tones, complementing the theme of the film. Music by Gustavo Santaolalla, is low key and doesn't attracts much attention.

Despite the film's obviously contrived plot, the film works, primarily because of the immense acting talents of Streep and Roberts. Also, in part because of its characters. They feel somewhat plausible even in the implausible scenarios. But one thing can be said for sure - you would never want to attend a funeral dinner akin to the one in August: Osage County.

3.5/5