I have seen this movie 3 times and every time it hits me hard. The simplicity of the story and authenticity of the characters is what draws you towards it. The cinematography is par excellence and every scene can be a melancholic painting. It's a story about discovering your difficult past, fighting it out and then trying to be at peace with it. Ida & Wanda both central characters handle their uncomfortable pasts differently. Wanda tries to overcome the terrible past by cigarettes, alcohol and sex but isn't able to, and eventually gives up. Ida being more religious(raised as a nun) tries the religious path to overcome these difficulties. But, somehow she gets swayed towards the same path as Wanda and tries it. But just after a day or two realises that , that path isn't for her. Her path had already been decided when she inadvertently started her life in a convent. Normal family life isn't for her, as she has already chosen god or god has chosen her. Last scene of the movie portrays strong determination in her face, and makes us believe that Ida has understood who she is, and will lead a happy life in the Convent. I sincerely hope she does.

Ida is a beautiful film. Set in post-war Poland, the state of the environment is rather bleak. Shots rarely contain more than three people at once, and all sounds excluding a beautiful Bach piano piece played at the end is diegetic. The sets are dirty yet minimalistic, giving it a view of a city which looks lived in. The film follows Ida, or Anna by her Christian name, as she leaves the Convent where she was raised to meet her aunt, Wanda, for the first time. Wanda is played by Agata Kulesza, who makes her feel like a human who has lived a full and complex life, much like our own, instead of a life built strictly within the context of the film. She's a Jewish (albeit atheist), aging, single alcoholic who spends her days mindlessly filling her internal void through sex. This is in stark contrast to the young Ida who spends her days repetitively worshipping god, in preparation to take her vows. Their conflicting values are showcased several times throughout the film in interesting ways. Wanda asks if Ida ever has sinful thoughts of carnal love, to which Ida replies with a no. Wanda replies "That's a shame. You should try, otherwise what sort of sacrifice are these vows of yours?". This is the primary theme of the film. We soon learn Wanda had a child, but her boy was killed during the war for being Jewish, but Ida survived. Wanda has now experienced an example of the theme. She has undoubtedly contemplated suicide prior to the film's beginning, but as she learns more of her loved ones past, she is now able to take her life after experiencing fully what life has offered and with the more knowledge of what life has in store for the future. Unfortunately, she now knows that the sacrifice of suicide is hardly a sacrifice, as she has no future. Her life is, in a way, already over. Wanda kills herself. As Ida returns to the convent, she no longer feels confident in taking her vows. Ida knows she hasn't the slightest clue what she'll be sacrificing, realizing Wanda was right in her prior comment. Or was she? It's a philosophical question for you to decide. Ida chooses to abandon the convent in search of knowledge. The same knowledge Wanda achieved: What sacrifices will my decisions entail. So Ida smokes, drinks, abandons her Habit (Christian hood), and even takes a lover in a young musician. The musician offers her a wonderful life, yet the next day she arises not to accept his love but to yet again leave. The film ends with the first non-diegetic music, as a stunning shot of Ida is shown walking to a destination unknown to the viewer. I believe she chose to go back to the convent, now certain what her sacrifice will entail and ready to take her vows. This is Ida. 80 minutes of stunning black&white cinematography which could truly be screen shotted at any moment and made into a wallpaper. The story is not complicated, fast paced, or modern. It's more reminiscent of Bergman's Wild Strawberries. It's calm, quiet, yet meaningful and elegant. It's a perfect film. 10/10.

This is an artistic film, a Polish drama filmed in a beautiful B&W technology, decorated with minimalism, deliberately accentuated the asymmetry, but again, in a perfect balance between living things and background. It is interesting and setting characters in the scene that was never in the center of the frame, one at the edges, emphasizing certain emotional drama on their faces. For this to be achieved impressive actors are required, such sensibility, something unusual that you would have to intrigue to study that face. Ida is an unpretentious work, fermented for the true film fans who enjoy every scene, every aspect and every detail and for those people who will know how to appreciate film art in general. It is recommended for film fans who like slow play without a lot of stories, but with a lot of what happens between the lines.

delicacy is the basic virtue of a film who presents different bitter subjects in an inspired manner. a film about faith and roots. about life discovered by a fascinating character who seems very far by world's expectations. a film about love and sacrifice who reminds the grace and precision and science to explore the details of the cinema from the East. high lesson of cinema, it is an admirable exploration of the character's nuances. not only for the good cast or for the special art of script but for the force of silence , looks and sound of the words. a film about a young woman front with a new perspective. and her way to self definition. and the gestures who transforms the challenges.