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COLD WAR

I’ve seen tons of films this year and Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski‘s Cold War (finally on Canadian screens this January) is simply the best. It is of Masterpiece proportion.

Going for his own roots, as well as the tragedy of a whole country, in telling the love story of two musicians set against the backdrop of the cold war, Pawlikowski does every bit of it to reach a great level of commitment and achievement. He could have set for just the historical or simply the love story or the superb musical numbers. Each parts are so especially well done and inspired, it would still work. But he mixes them together to highly effective dramatic heights.  Inspiration, direction, writing, acting, framing and light, editing, sound, music are set to near perfection. Technical mastery meets artistic chivalry.

Cold War draws from great traditions of Polish superior film making, but it comes up as fresh and contemporary. A massive film. Cinetalk.net Best Film for 2018!

 

THE LIST

You can now consult my list of ‘Bests’ with the followings making my top 15 – listed alphabetically :

Beautiful Things (Italy) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/11/15/ridm-2018-beautiful-things/

Black Mother (USA) See: Critics choice at the bottom

Border (Sweden) – link at the bottom

Die Tomorrow (Thailand) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/10/09/fnc-2018-die-tomorrow/

Dogman (Italy) – link at the bottom

First Reformed (USA) See: Critics choice at the bottom

In Fabric (UK) – link at the bottom

Madeline’s Madeline (USA) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/07/31/fantasia-2018-madelines-madeline-us-2018/

Microhabitat (South Korea) See: Critics choice at the bottom

One Cut of the Dead (Japan) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/07/30/fantasia-2018-one-cut-of-the-dead-japan-2018/

Roma (Mexico) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/10/31/tokyo-tiff-2018-roma/

Violence Voyager (Japan) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/07/23/fantasia-2018-violent-voyager/

Wilderness (Japan) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/07/20/fantasia-2018-2/

Woman at War (Iceland) – https://cinetalk.net/2018/10/11/fnc-2018-woman-at-war/

(In Fabric – Border – Dogman):

https://cinetalk.net/2018/12/31/top-15-2018-the-forgotten-3/

Critics choice

(First Reformed – Black Mother – Microhabitat)