A thundering herd of critics and viewers have wildly applauded the beauties and virtues of the movie "Ida." With so much rapture being expressed with such intensity from so many people it is daunting to offer the slightest criticism of this movie. Nonetheless, I will perform the very under-appreciated service of giving "Ida" a balanced review.
On the plus side, the cinematography is lovely. Shot in austere black and white, impeccably framed and endlessly atmospheric, the movie is a visual marvel. The stark simplicity of the images complements perfectly both the subject matter and the locations chosen for the film.
The acting is generally good, with Agata Kulesza's magnificent portrayal of Ida's aunt taking top honors here. Ms. Kulesza's exploration of a woman sliding quickly into multiple forms of self abuse -- most notably alcoholism, soulless promiscuity and depression -- is extremely compelling and provides the principal reason to see this movie. Haunted by the past (the Holocaust, in particular) and unable to live with the present, Kulesza's tortured character is luminously dark, dark, dark.
Much less felicitous, in my opinion, is Agata Trzebuchowska's portrayal of the lead character, Ida. How hard is it, I wonder, to act repressed, timid and holier-than-thou, to look down at the floor and away from other people, in scene after scene? Ms. Trzebuchowska plays her part well but my point would be that her part lacks depth and nuance; as a result, Trzebuchowska's acting comes across as rather rote and predictable. Not bad acting, mind you, but hardly deserving of the ecstatic praise that has been heaped upon it.
The story is fine so long as it revolves around the interactions between the worldly, depraved and depressed Aunt and her virtuous, repressed niece-nun. The various scenes in the convent where Ida usually resides are also deftly handled with all of the restraint they require. But in the last quarter of the film when Ida takes a flier on all sorts of depravities better suited to her infamous aunt the whole enterprise starts to go off the rails. There's a switch from "virtue" to "vice" and then back again, apparently, to "virtue" that seems simultaneously pointless and predictable. We have no warning that Ida is going to take this walk on the wild side but, despite the lack of warning, it seems obvious when it happens.
So to conclude, there is much to admire in this movie and it is certainly worth seeing and supporting. But to suggest that "Ida" is the cinematographic equivalent of Nirvana, as so many reviewers have done, is to inflate the accomplishments of the director, screenwriter and actors well beyond their actual scope. It's a movie that could have been great but that somehow couldn't bear to steer clear of conventional devices to move the plot along. By putting sex and death scenes in a film that actually demanded their exclusion, the screenwriter greatly compromised an otherwise promising work. Too bad, but there it is...
On the plus side, the cinematography is lovely. Shot in austere black and white, impeccably framed and endlessly atmospheric, the movie is a visual marvel. The stark simplicity of the images complements perfectly both the subject matter and the locations chosen for the film.
The acting is generally good, with Agata Kulesza's magnificent portrayal of Ida's aunt taking top honors here. Ms. Kulesza's exploration of a woman sliding quickly into multiple forms of self abuse -- most notably alcoholism, soulless promiscuity and depression -- is extremely compelling and provides the principal reason to see this movie. Haunted by the past (the Holocaust, in particular) and unable to live with the present, Kulesza's tortured character is luminously dark, dark, dark.
Much less felicitous, in my opinion, is Agata Trzebuchowska's portrayal of the lead character, Ida. How hard is it, I wonder, to act repressed, timid and holier-than-thou, to look down at the floor and away from other people, in scene after scene? Ms. Trzebuchowska plays her part well but my point would be that her part lacks depth and nuance; as a result, Trzebuchowska's acting comes across as rather rote and predictable. Not bad acting, mind you, but hardly deserving of the ecstatic praise that has been heaped upon it.
The story is fine so long as it revolves around the interactions between the worldly, depraved and depressed Aunt and her virtuous, repressed niece-nun. The various scenes in the convent where Ida usually resides are also deftly handled with all of the restraint they require. But in the last quarter of the film when Ida takes a flier on all sorts of depravities better suited to her infamous aunt the whole enterprise starts to go off the rails. There's a switch from "virtue" to "vice" and then back again, apparently, to "virtue" that seems simultaneously pointless and predictable. We have no warning that Ida is going to take this walk on the wild side but, despite the lack of warning, it seems obvious when it happens.
So to conclude, there is much to admire in this movie and it is certainly worth seeing and supporting. But to suggest that "Ida" is the cinematographic equivalent of Nirvana, as so many reviewers have done, is to inflate the accomplishments of the director, screenwriter and actors well beyond their actual scope. It's a movie that could have been great but that somehow couldn't bear to steer clear of conventional devices to move the plot along. By putting sex and death scenes in a film that actually demanded their exclusion, the screenwriter greatly compromised an otherwise promising work. Too bad, but there it is...