I went into this movie with mixed expectations. Since it just won the 2014 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, I was expecting greatness. But since I am not a huge fan of art movies, I expected that my "simple taste" would not be served well. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like the film, I just did not.
The story is set in early 1960s Poland. The lead character, Anna, is in a convent (and has been since she was abandoned during WWII) and is about to undertake her vows. Before she can do so, the Mother Superior requires her to travel to visit her sole living relative, Aunt Wanda. At first Aunt Wanda is cold and distant. Then, without any reason, Aunt Wanda warms up to Anna and offers to take her to find her buried parents. The majority of the movie then follows these two to discover how the parents were killed and where they are buried. Along the way, secrets are discovered and Anna's destiny is brought into question.
Shot in black and white, the cinematography is wonderful even though the scenes are barren and sparse. The dialog is also barren and sparse, which is my main problem. The viewer knows what is going on as the road trip unfolds, but the 2 main characters make dramatic choices which do not seem consistent with their prior acts. And nothing in the dialog indicates the possibility of these strange choices, thereby leaving the viewer to fill in way too many blanks. While many people laud the quiet in this movie, I found the lack of interaction (verbal and otherwise) between the characters to be uninteresting. As such, while I thought the story had potential, nothing in this film created or even tried to create any emotional connection between me and the characters. And without that connection, the viewer just leaves the film wanting some more than what he/she saw.
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https://nomorewastedmovienights.wordpress.com
The story is set in early 1960s Poland. The lead character, Anna, is in a convent (and has been since she was abandoned during WWII) and is about to undertake her vows. Before she can do so, the Mother Superior requires her to travel to visit her sole living relative, Aunt Wanda. At first Aunt Wanda is cold and distant. Then, without any reason, Aunt Wanda warms up to Anna and offers to take her to find her buried parents. The majority of the movie then follows these two to discover how the parents were killed and where they are buried. Along the way, secrets are discovered and Anna's destiny is brought into question.
Shot in black and white, the cinematography is wonderful even though the scenes are barren and sparse. The dialog is also barren and sparse, which is my main problem. The viewer knows what is going on as the road trip unfolds, but the 2 main characters make dramatic choices which do not seem consistent with their prior acts. And nothing in the dialog indicates the possibility of these strange choices, thereby leaving the viewer to fill in way too many blanks. While many people laud the quiet in this movie, I found the lack of interaction (verbal and otherwise) between the characters to be uninteresting. As such, while I thought the story had potential, nothing in this film created or even tried to create any emotional connection between me and the characters. And without that connection, the viewer just leaves the film wanting some more than what he/she saw.
To see my other movie reviews, please visit:
https://nomorewastedmovienights.wordpress.com