Truly impressive.

Ida talks about a novitiate Polish nun during the 60's. She was left at a church’s doorstep as a baby, so her past is unknown. Just before taking her vows, her supervisor discovers information about her aunt and asks Ida to visit her to get closure or any information at all about her family. Since this is a post-war Poland, she’s scared of what she might find out.

Ida is also scared because she’s a nun in training. God is almighty and omnipresent and, as she finds out more about her past, family, and life itself, Ida becomes more and more confused.

How could she not be? She’s young and never had a life outside of church. Suddenly she’s brought into this new lifestyle and sees everything in a new light. Her aunt Wanda is a former judge and is obviously more experienced in life than Ida. She drinks, she smokes, she has sex, she dances. Ida was never exposed to those things before, and so, she starts to wonder.

Director Pawlikowski shot this film flawlessly. From early on, when Ida was still at the convent, everything is still and shots so carefully chosen. This is probably the most sensitive piece of the year when it comes to composition and aesthetics. The black and white obviously plays a massive part on this. It makes all things often colder and neutral, but warmer when it’s bright and much more beautiful when Ida smiles, for example. “Your hair is beautiful, you should stop wearing that.”

While Wanda is “the character” of the film (you’d be surprised at the amount of funny moments), it’s Ida herself that steals the show. It was Agata Trzebuchowska first career role. Her acting in Ida will not blow your mind, but she fit perfectly as her character.

It might look cold and distant, and post-war Poland might look ugly and decadent, but Ida is nothing short than one of the most beautiful films of the year.