Cold War is set in the 1950s; our film begins with a music director on the hunt for the next young group of talented singers and dancers. Soon he is impressed and smitten by a young girl with a mysterious past. The two fall in love, and as the audience, we get to witness the multiple challenges they face as the film progresses. This is a mismatched couple, but their passion and desire for one another is equal. As time flashes forward during the film, it’s really up to the viewer to fill in the gaps as to what our leads have been up to. How you assume these gaps of time were filled could alter your thoughts about this film. I have viewed this film twice and done some research to achieve my final score and form my opinion for this review.

As a film genre, I would suggest calling Cold War a “Heavy Drama/Romance film”.

As far as the film specs go, this film is subtitled, shot in 4:3 Aspect Ratio, plus! This film has purposely been delivered in Black & White. These essential elements, along with other features, gives the film a realism for the periods portrayed. This realism I speak of has been achieved because of one fantastic factor- the film’s Cinematography. The cinematography is jaw-dropping, and I simply applaud the results. The film feels so realistic, and I’m not saying that just because the film is in a 4:3 aspect ratio or because it’s a Black & White. NO! The film’s locations for each scene, the backgrounds and not to mention the amount of extras here are all elements that build atmosphere. I couldn’t fault the atmosphere that surrounds our romantic leads, and as a result, I always felt drawn into this film.

As far as performances go, our leads are merely fantastic and very convincing on screen. I’ll go as far to say that this has been some of the best performances found in a 2018 film! Our leads are incredibly believable. I also enjoyed how the personality of both leading characters were so different from one another. I guess when it comes to romance, the saying “Opposites attract” is right.

As far as audio, this is gold. Cold War gives its audiences a few surprises when it comes to the music factor as many different genres are present throughout the film. This is also due to the film progressing in time and keeping up with what’s popular, or the music that gets discovered in a particular year. I was also surprised to find that all the musical numbers that are played in this film and even the background music from bands were playing when filming and not dubbed over in production. It’s once again, critical elements like these that gives the film a super strength of realism.

Overall, this is a film that I’ve had to think afterwards. Like Art and Music, this film comes down to the personal taste of the viewer. Many will praise this film, while others may not enjoy the film’s looks or story. For those who enjoy movies that feel like a work of art, this is something not to be missed. Because of the stunning performances and perfection in cinematography, I’m confident that even if you don’t enjoy the film, it will stay in your heart forever. Filling in the film’s gaps with the opinions of the audience could also alter what you think of this film.

9.6/10

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Review Written by Peter Walkden