Aesthetically perfect; narratively frustrating

Reading around some of the reviews of Zimna wojna [Cold War], I recognise that this should have been a film I liked, loved even, as so much of what these critics are praising are exactly the kinds of things I myself often look for in a film, and I genuinely wish I had been able to get what people like The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw or the Los Angeles Times's Justin Cheng have gotten from it. It's one of the best reviewed films of the year (94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing), and I freely acknowledge there's a huge amount to praise here, with elements of the visual design borderline genius. However, all the aesthetic brilliance in the world doesn't hide what, for me, is its single greatest flaw - it just left me utterly cold; I didn't care about the two main characters, and I didn't buy their relationship. Yes, I'm aware that emotional detachment is exactly what it was going for, and it's probably unfair to criticise a film for successfully doing what it intended to do, but when it ended, all I could think was "meh." Now, I know what you're thinking, because I've thought it myself in relation to any number of user reviews for any number of films – you're probably already formulating your "go back to Michael Bay" comments, and I can't say I blame you. But, whilst I can certainly appreciate much of what is on offer, and understand why critics have loved it, the end result for me was one of indifference. Although, to be fair, that may say more about myself than the film.

For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/w7Fov