In a Tumultuous World, Music is a Couple’s Salvation

Tomasz Kot and Joanna Kulig in "Cold War"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Paweł Pawlikowski’s historical drama, “Cold War,” begins with what may be one of the most distinct opening scenes of 2018, having the camera focus on several villagers in Poland as they sing and play instruments.  This introduces us into a world where these individuals find refuge in their art in order to get by during their day to day hardships.

From there, Pawlikowski delivers a story that unfolds by showing the love of music that two people share as they face the oppressive bleakness of the world around them.

In late 1940s Poland, a young woman named Zuzanna “Zula” Lichón (Joanna Kulig) is brought to live in a home with many other aspiring musicians, singers, and dancers, where they all audition to take part in a troupe that will tour across Europe.  Soon, Zula captures the attention of a musical director, Wiktor Warski (Tomasz Kot).  As time goes on and Zula and other artists perform around Europe, she and Wiktor long to escape to the West, where they’ll be able to exercise their creative freedom from having to take part in communist propaganda.  Although their situation is ideal at first, circumstances will arise that will bring significant changes to their lives.

Kulig provides a radiant performance as an individual whose character comes alive whenever she’s on a stage because that’s the place where her character seems to be at home, absorbing the spotlight and becoming one with her art. Through her spiritedness and love for singing and dancing, we see how much this acts as her escape from the harsh realities of her life.  However, as the movie goes on, Kulig exhibits Zula’s emotional pain as her relationship with Wiktor becomes more strained.  Her character goes through many changes during the film, and Kulig excels in showing the impact that every step of this journey has on her character.

Kulig and Kot have an intense on-screen chemistry that draws us into their love for each other and the troubled relationship that arises from jealousy and being apart for an extended period of time.  It’s a relationship that’s equal parts joyous and heartbreaking, and the way that their bond changes through a period of many years offers endless fascination.

The screenplay by Pawlikowski, Janusz Głowacki, and Piotr Borkowski does well in taking its time to establish the environment of the story.  The sequences that we spend at the artists’ residence, with the auditions and rehearsals, shows us the wealth of talent that comes out of these individuals whose lives have been upended by the horrors of war.  As we move onto the portions of the film with Zula touring around Europe with Wiktor and their fellow performers, it’s here where we receive a deeper sense of what performing means to her, which leads into Zula and Wiktor's powerful odyssey as they try to make their dreams of success come true.  This is a story that’s filled with complexities of its characters and settings, and it does much to show us the impacts that historical events of the narrative’s time period have on the lives of Zula, Wiktor, and others.

One of the many notable aspects of the movie is Łukasz Żal’s cinematography, which presents the film in gorgeous black and white.  This allows us to feel the chill and somberness of the Polish setting, while also presenting the other European settings, particularly France, in a beauty that shows an abundance of promise for the two main characters.  It’s impossible not to sink into the film as you behold the imagery that Żal conjures in order to help tell this story.

With the help of Zal’s camerawork, Pawlikowski excels in displaying the disheartening aura of the film’s beginning, the grandness of the performance sequences, to the heartrending nature of the relationship between Zula and Wiktor.  All of this makes “Cold War” a rich and layered story where love and music run deep, and I urge you to take this journey.

Grade: A

Predictions for the 91st Academy Awards

Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book"; Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"; Sam Elliot, "A Star Is Born"; Richard E. Grant , "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"; Sam Rockwell - "Vice"

Mahershala Ali in "Green Book"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win and Should Win: Mahershala Ali, "Green Book" - While Richard E. Grant has received the most attention of the five nominations with numerous nominations and wins amongst critics groups, Ali has had all of the luck with the major awards shows, winning the Critics’ Choice Movie Award, the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors Guild Award, and the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Awards).  Portraying famed jazz pianist Don Shirley, Ali gave a wonderful performance of a man who travels throughout the South in the 1962 with his two bandmates and chauffeur on a concert tour.  While the films allows him to have some humorous moments along the way, it’s the dramatic side to his character that stands out, showing him trying to use his music to make an impact on a segregated society.  After winning in this category in 2017 for his role in "Moonlight," which was his first nomination, it looks like Ali will be making a return to the Dolby Theater stage.


Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Vice"; Marina de Tavira, "Roma"; Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk"; Emma Stone, "The Favourite"; Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

Regina King in "If Beale Street Could Talk"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk" - At the start of awards season, King was the frontrunner in this category, winning numerous accolades from critics groups for her performance of a strong-willed mother who tries to help her daughter get her boyfriend out of jail, who has been imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit.  When the major awards shows began airing, King went on to win the Critics’ Choice Award and the Golden Globe.  Although she wasn't nominated for the SAG Award or the BAFTA, she has had enough success on the awards circuit, thus far.  So, expect her first nomination to translate into a win.

Rachel Weisz in "The Favourite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite" - Weisz has been nominated for many awards for her work as the confidante to a cantankerous monarch, and she has had some luck in the process.  It’s a role in which Weisz revels in her character’s mischievous deeds, and it’s so much fun to see her go head-to-head with Emma Stone’s character.  Weisz does superb work in showing both her affection for the queen as her best friend and the jealousy that the she holds towards Stone’s character as the latter tries makes her way into the queen’s inner circle, drawing us into the arc of Weisz’s character as she worries about the possible breaking of her bond with her longtime friend.  Although Weisz managed to pull off a win at the BAFTA’s, which might have been made possible because King wasn’t nominated, it’s difficult to see Weisz receiving the Oscar instead of King, at this point.


Best Actor: Christian Bale, "Vice"; Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"; Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"; Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody"; Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book”

Rami Malek in "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

Will Win: Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody” - Despite a troubled production and a mixed response from critics, the biopic of British rock band Queen has received a lot of unexpected awards attention, even scooping up a Best Motion Picture - Drama win at the Golden Globes and a Best Picture nomination from the Academy.  Despite the not-so-stellar critical reactions for the movie itself, there has been mammoth praise for Malek’s performance as Queen’s lead singer, Freddie Mercury.  Malek has received several nominations from critics groups and has won a Golden Globe for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama, a SAG Award, and a BAFTA.  While Christian Bale poses a chance at being a possible winner, having won a Golden Globe for Best Actor- Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Critics’ Choice Award, expect Malek to be another first-time nominee from this year to walk away with the Oscar.

Bradley Cooper in "A Star Is Born"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born” - This was the year where Cooper proved to be a multitalented individual, having acted in, directed, and co-written this musical drama, while also impressing audiences with a dynamic singing voice.  This is one of Cooper’s best performances to date, playing a country-music star who finds a new creative spark as he begins to collaborate and fall in love with a nightclub singer-songwriter (Lady Gaga).  What’s remarkable about Cooper’s performance is how he doesn’t let his character become a down-on-his-luck cliché, but instead makes his role into something that’s soulful, tender, and heartbreaking.  Cooper’s performance hasn’t had much luck in terms of wins from critics groups or the major awards shows, which is a shame because his work in this film presents next-level potential.  His first acting nomination came in 2013, and now in 2019, he’s already received his fourth.  With that much recognition in a short span of time, it’s easy to predict that he will have a lot more with which to impress us in the future.


Best Actress: Yalitza Aparicio, "Roma"; Glenn Close, "The Wife"; Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"; Lady Gaga, "A Star Is Born"; Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"

Glenn Close in "The Wife"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: Glenn Close, "The Wife" - Before this year, Close has received six Oscar nominations, but has never won.  She hasn't received much attention from critics groups for her role as the spouse of an acclaimed author, but her wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards (where she tied with Lady Gaga), Golden Globes, and SAG Awards are sure to result in Close having an Oscar to her name by this Sunday.

Olivia Colman in "The Favourite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Olivia Colman, "The Favourite" - While Colman isn’t predicted to make it to the stage at this year’s ceremony, she’s had some notable wins at other awards shows, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and Best Actress at the BAFTAs, while also picking up some wins from critics groups along the way for her performance as an erratic British queen.  This has been quite a competitive year for this category, so Colman scoring a nomination is an award itself, but she has been a top competitor for quite some time.  It’s not only a performance with tremendous wit, but is also one that brings us into the tragedies that as plagued her character's life, and Colman provides stunning work in translating both sides of her role. She provides a combined effort of being unpredictable in certain scenes, and grounded in others, making this one of the most memorable performances of 2018.


Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma"; Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite"; Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"; Adam McKay, "Vice"; Paweł Pawlikowski, "Cold War"

Alfonso Cuarón, director of "Roma"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: Alfonso Cuarón, "Roma" - Five years ago, Cuarón won in this category for his science-fiction thriller, "Gravity," and it looks like he will receive another win for his latest work, which tells the story of a live-in housekeeper who takes care of a family in early 1970s Mexico City.  Not only did he serve as the writer and director, but Cuarón was also the film’s cinematographer, which I'm sure has impressed Academy members.  As of now, he has won directing honors at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, the Directors Guild of America, and from multiple critics groups, so it looks like his second directorial nomination will become his second win.

Yorgos Lanthimos, director of "The Favourite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: Yorgos Lanthimos, "The Favourite" - Lanthimos excels in bringing us films that take a genre and imbue it with a weirdness that adds some freshness to those genres, with his latest subject being a historical period film.  Other than his Oscar nomination, Lanthimos was nominated at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the BAFTAs, and has also received nominations from several critics groups.  Throughout the film, Lanthimos is able to maintain his ability to keep us invested in trying to figure out what will happen next and delivers a historical film unlike any other.  This is all with the help of a surprising true story and outrageous and humorous images that invite us into a complex triangle of friendship that has many layers of deviousness.  Although Lanthimos likely won’t be winning this year, his talent for offering audiences unconventional filmgoing experiences will have him returning to the Oscars soon enough. 


Best Picture: “Black Panther,” ”BlacKkKlansman"; "Bohemian Rhapsody"; "The Favourite"; "Green Book"; "Roma"; "A Star Is Born;" "Vice"

"Roma"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Will Win: "Roma" - Last month, Best Picture looked like it would come down between “Roma” and "Green Book.”  In the case for "Green Book," it won the Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture, which is a good indicator of what will win Best Picture, with 20 winners receiving the Oscars' top prize out of the 30 years of the PGA Awards.  And, its Golden Globe win for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy doesn't hurt either.  However, two of the nine times that the PGA Awards and the Oscars didn't match up weren't too long ago, occurring in 2016 and 2017, so the PGAs haven't been quite as dependable as they usually are.  There's also the fact that "Green Book" didn't receive a nomination for Best Director.  In regard to "Roma," it's tied with "The Favourite" for having the most nominations of the year at 10, against five for "Green Book," and it won Best Picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards and BAFTAs.  And, although it wasn't nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes, where there’s a rule stating that foreign-language films can’t be nominated in the Best Motion Picture - Drama and Musical or Comedy categories, it was able to pull off a win for Best Foreign Language Film.  What might hurt the Best Picture chances for "Roma" is that it's a Netflix movie, and it's difficult to tell how the Academy will feel about awarding Best Picture to a movie from a streaming service.  So, there’s a possibility that they just wanted to recognize "Roma" with a nomination, but not a win.  Despite this, the 10 nominations and many awards that "Roma" has received up to this point are difficult to ignore, so there's a chance that it could end up being this year's big winner.

"The Favourite"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Should Win: "The Favourite" - Although Lanthimos’ film has earned Best Picture nominations from the top awards shows and a few critics groups, in hasn’t had much fortune when it comes to winning, which is a shame because “The Favourite” is one of the most entertaining and original films of the year and is a terrific blend of acting, directing, writing, and technical qualities.  This is a historical period film with a hilarious and vicious twist, and Lanthimos never lets us forget that.  His film brings us many humorous sequences, but he never dilutes the emotional undertones of Olivia Colman’s character.  This movie has a lot going for it in several respects, making it deserving of its 10 nominations, and I’m hoping it’s able to pick up a couple of wins.  I’m still upset with myself for not getting around to seeing this movie a second time because there’s so much to appreciate.  So, if you haven’t seen it yet, fix that as soon as you can because this is a movie that impresses and astounds in equal measure.

Tune into the 91st Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24, at 8:00 p.m. on ABC.

After Years of Fame, a Comedic Duo Attempts to Recapture Audiences’ Hearts

Steve Coogan (left) and John C. Reilly in "Stan & Ollie"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

As a movie buff, it’s difficult for me to resist stories about Hollywood’s golden age, as these were decades where the possibilities of filmmaking expanded and gave us some of the best movies of all time and some of the most-talented actors and actresses in the industry.  Over the last few years, we’ve had Martin Scorsese’s 2004 drama, “The Aviator,” which told the story of film director Howard Hughes; Julian Jarrold’s 2012 making-of-“The Birds” television film, “The Girl;” Sacha Gervasi’s 2012 making-of-“Psycho” drama, “Hitchcock”; and Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen, and Michael Zam’s 2017 miniseries, “Feud: Bette and Joan,” which focused on the strained work-relationship between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford on the set of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”  Watching such true stories offers endless, fascinating details about these artists and their work, creating irresistible insight over which any film lover will obsess.

Director Jon S. Baird does the same with his comedy-drama, “Stan & Ollie,” a witty and emotional view into the legendary duo, Laurel and Hardy, in a story that’s brought to life with the help of two great lead performances.

In 1937, Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) face some difficulties that put their collaboration on hold.  Sixteen years later, the two of them reunite and embark on a music-hall tour across England and Ireland as they also attempt to have another film made.

Coogan and Reilly have a boundless chemistry that makes this movie an absolute joy to watch.  Just as their real-life counterparts made audiences laugh for many years, Coogan and Reilly make us laugh with their witty exchanges and embodiment of the spirit of Laurel and Hardy.  As their characters’ successes shift towards their troubles, Coogan and Reilly deliver the emotional strain that grows between Laurel and Hardy when previous difficulties that arose during their stardom threatens to break their friendship.  These are affecting performances because of how we see them experiencing happiness in bringing their comedic talents to audiences, but then must face the possibility of having that time in their lives come to an end.

Aside from the highs and lows that we see in Stan and Ollie’s relationship, we’re also treated to some wonderful bits of visual comedy from the two of them, and not just when they’re filming a movie or performing on stage, but in the moments between their productions.  This includes a scene involving Stan in a film producer’s office, and Stan and Ollie at the front desk of a hotel, and these scenes emphasize how much the two of them loved to entertain audiences.  This is a movie that’s full of charm, and those aforementioned sequences display the magic that was held within the talents of Laurie and Hardy.

The film also has two memorable supporting performances from Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson as Laurel and Hardy’s wives, respectively.  They bring considerable fun to the screen and provide the film with many humorous moments, making the two of them a wonderful duo to go alongside Laurel and Hardy.

The screenplay by Jeff Pope offers a look into this iconic pair of performers as they try to come to terms with their fading popularity.  This is a more fascinating choice in telling the story than focusing on their whole careers because all of its attention can remain on a tumultuous time that comes later in Stan and Ollie’s lives.  The movie takes place in 1937 for about 10 minutes in the beginning, while the rest of it takes place in 1953, and we know for long Laurel and Hardy have been working together before that 16-year separation.  So, there’s more emotion to the story because the movie brings us to a later stage in their careers where they’re not sure if they’ll ever meet the same high levels of success that they maintained for so long.  Here, we see the impacts that previous conflicting plans for fame have on Laurel and Hardy at this period of their lives and how their animosity threatens to end their collaboration.

One of the film’s most memorable scenes is its opening.  Here, we begin with Stan and Ollie sharing a friendly discussion in their dressing room, and they then proceed to walk out onto the studio lot.  The cinematography by Laurie Rose constructs this scene as a long take that lasts about five minutes.  The camera follows Stan and Ollie as they continue to speak, while also absorbing the audience in a classical-Hollywood atmosphere.  Watching this conversation unfold creates a rich naturalism between Laurel and Hardy as they go about another day of bringing smiles to moviegoers.

Baird exhibits Laurel and Hardy’s friendship and their passion for comedy in a film that’s loaded with heart and humor, and he might even get you a bit misty-eyed.  With “Stan & Ollie, ” Baird and his team don’t just show the talent that sparked from these two iconic performers, but also how a mutual love for entertaining sparked a friendship.

Grade: A