Cold War

             Co-written and directed by Pawel Pawlikoski, this is a story of obsessive and destructive love set in Poland and France during the years of 1949 to 1964. It is the period known today as the Cold War and musicians Wiktor and Zula , who meet and fall madly in love, struggle for a life together, in a world torn by political unrest between Eastern and Western Europe.

             As the years pass and always unable to really be together, Wiktor and Zula's lives continually cross and their obsessive love for each other always remains. Joanna Kulig plays Zula and Tomasz Kot plays Wiktor. They are excellent together with great chemistry but I found their characters lacking and I couldn't form an emotional attachment to them.

             There is a great deal of music in the film and the songs and score are wonderful. The film is also shot in black and white which really brings great depth to the cinematography. Mr. Pawlikoski has a great eye for the period and the historical details. 

             The film is nominated in the foreign film category at this year's Oscars and there are many good things about it. I just didn't find it as wonderful as many other critics.