Ida (2013)

This movie is shot in black and white and a 1:33 frame to evoke an old film from the 1960s.  It almost makes it feel like the film was made in the time period it depicts.  This gives the viewer a sense of postwar Poland.  There are such long pauses that the film is almost silent.  It is admittedly a bit slow, but this adds to the dreary, eerie post-war atmosphere.  The awkward, off-center framing makes the viewer feel slightly uncomfortable.

The movie "discusses" a dark time in Polish history.  I say "discusses" because it never mentions the keywords "Holocaust," "Stalin," or "Occupation."  It is not about what is said, but what the film implies.  Agata Kulesza's Wanda does an excellent job at gesturing her statements as opposed to vocalizing them.  And Ida's silences speak as much as her words.  Ida and Wanda are perfect foils, and their time spent together, two unlikely road trip mates, affect them both greatly.   As far as road trip movies go, this one is highly unconventional.  It brings depth, poignancy, and reflection to a serious black eye in Polish history.