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THIS WEEK Embassy Cinemas Valletta Tel. 21 227436, 21 245818 Interstellar (PG) 10:15, 13:45, 17:15, 20:50 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (12A) 10:30, 13:45, 16:10, 18:35, 21:10 The Imitation Game (12A) 10:15, 13:15, 16:00, 18:40, 21:15 The Best of Me (12A) 10:15, 13:00, 15:45, 18:30, 21:10 The Maze Runner (12A) 16:05, 18:35, 21:05 Paddington (U) 10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00, 21:15 Eden Cinemas St Julian's Tel. 23 710400 A Thousand Times Good Night (15) 14:00, 16:20, 18:45, 21:10, 23:35 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1(12A) 14:30, 18:10, 21:00, 23:45 The Imitation Game (12A) 14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:45 The Book of life (U) 14:05, 16:15, 18:25 Paddington (U) 14:10, 16:25, 18:35, 20:45, 23:00 Love, Rosie (15) 14:05, 16:25, 18:45, 21:05, 23:20 Interstellar (PG) 14:15, 17:45, 21:15, 22:40 Annabelle (15) 14:20, 16:30, 18:40, 21:10, 23:30 Gone Girl (18) 14:20, 17:55, 20:50, 23:45 The Best of Me (12A) 14:30, 18:15, 20:55, 23:30 Alexander and the Terrible, Hor- rible, No Good, Very Bad Day (PG) 14:30, 16:30, 18:30, 20:45 Fury (15) 14:30, 18:20, 20:55, 23:30 Ida (15) 14:30, 16:30, 18:45, 20:50, 23:00 Maps to the Stars (18) 21:05, 23:30 Empire Cinemas Bugibba Tel. 21 581787, 21 581909 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (12A) 10:55, 13:30, 16:00, 18:30, 21:05 Interstellar (PG) 10:45, 14:05, 17:50, 21:10 Paddington (U) 11:05, 13:35, 15:50, 18:00. 20:45 Imitation Game (12A) 11:00, 13:30, 15:50, 18:15, 20:50 THE problem with a lot of films we see released on a weekly basis is that they're not really films at all. Bear with me. If we all agree that film is a vis- ual medium, then the bulk of our cinematic offerings don't do good on that offer. If they're anything they're closer to moving picture books than actual narratives told through the medium of film (that they're often lazy adaptations of popular novels and/or comic books is significant). Crucial parts of the story are often delivered to us through clumsy, 'info dump' dia- logue, and locations are often just dry stage backgrounds in which the 'real action' can unfold at leisure… an approach that is, quite literally, prosaic. In short, very few films are like the Polish black-and-white period drama Ida. Directed by Paweł Paw- likowski and hotly tipped for the Foreign Language Oscar, the quiet, carefully composed coming of age story is a reminder that telling sto- ries in film requires both restraint and aptitude. In 1960s Poland, Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska), a young novice nun, is told by her prioress that before her vows can be taken, she must visit her family. Anna travels to her aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza), a heavy-drinking judge and former prosecutor associated with the Stalinist regime, who dispassion- ately reveals that Anna's actual name is Ida Lebenstein, and that her parents were Jewish and were murdered during the war. Ida de- cides she wants to find their rest- ing place. She and Wanda embark on a journey that both sheds light on their past and decides their fu- tures. One of the most admirable things about Pawlikowski's film is its pac- ing. There are only a few key details that edge the story forward, and the director makes good use of them without ever making us feel he's overstretching an otherwise sparse well of material. Ida and Wanda's little quest is also a perfect exam- ple of how to manageably tackle big historical themes 'in miniature'. Trudging through post-war Po- land, Ida and Wanda's little odyssey evokes a number of things in one fell swoop. The hard-drinking and promiscuous Wanda mirrors the damaged state of her country at the time. She is irrevocably damaged by the past, and can't understand the 'solution' presented by Ida – a desirable young girl who appears to be on the brink of shutting herself away from society for good. None of this is telegraphed, but neither is it a stretch to consider because Pawlikowski sprawls it out before us with the greatest clarity. That's not to say that Ida can't be enjoyed on its surface merits as a coming-of-age story with a dark, Holocaust-laden underbelly. But Pawlikowski's use of film language ensures that form and content are one and the same. The use of black and white nor- mally comes across as either a vul- gar gimmick (Sin City) or a twee at- tempt at injecting old-timey charm (The Artist). Pawlikowski instead makes it part and parcel of his ar- tistic programme. It's a Spartan aesthetic for a Spartan protagonist: being frugal is what being a nun is all about. The porcelain-like per- fection of Ida and her world at the convent is contrasted with Wan- da's world, but the colour scheme ensures us that Ida's worldview is being carried across even there – though the implications are that it may be in crisis. An uncomplicated story also al- lows Pawlikowski to dedicate his full attention to every single frame. The first thing you'll notice about the film is that heads – particu- larly those belonging to nuns – are placed at the bottom of the shot, allowing for plenty of 'extra' room up ahead. You're free to speculate as to what this actually points to- wards, if anything at all (the inef- fable presence of the divine? The insignificance of human action in the face of history?). But what is certain is how it ap- pears on the screen. It's consist- ently uncrowded, and composed to a geometric perfection that feels delicate rather than calculated. Though it may be too early to call – or at least, just about – we may have our film of the year, ladies and gentlemen. Ida will be showing at Eden Cin- emas, St Julians as part of the Side Street Films initiative until De- cember 9 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2014 41 FILM IN CINEMAS TODAY By Teodor Reljic Nun's the word THIS WEEK ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ NUN ★ ★ ★ ★ HOME RUN ★ ★ ★ DONE ★ ★ SHUN ★ NONE Culture clash: On the verge of taking her vows, nun-to- be Ida (Agata Trzebuchowska) visits her hard-drinking aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza) in this impeccably crafted Polish period drama IDA (15) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ One of the most admirable things about Pawlikowski's film is its pacing. There are only a few key details that edge the story forward...