The Cold Room

The movie lights upon "unfinished" business, as shown from the dreams of Amanda Pays' character. The unfinished business is almost reminding of the Gordon Lightfoot song, If You Could Read My Mind. On a vulture note, a hint of a sub-parallel; a similarity to Seward's Ice Box/Polar Bear Garden - Alaska, USA.

World War, US War History buffs and students pour through info. for study, research and writing. While doing so, watching the movie becomes an opportunity to consider such possible aforsaid symbolism; then, to refine it; to supplicate the history/movie experience.

Whether or not the movie's possible symbolism fits into a template like format, using other content to describe something - like an allegory from symbolism, is interesting. Ambitious history buffs, amateur code breakers and students might find some "meat and potato" substance there.

Incredibly bleak and almost unwatchable. One of the rules of a good film is to create a world that is accessible. I get the main character's slipping in and out of the current reality. The problem is that things are so bleak in the contemporary that the past seems not so terrible. There is all this angst and anger. I thought to myself, this girl should be sent packing. She is the consummate brat. He father is pleasant to her, but because of the death of her mother, she resents him horribly. That said, he is about as dense as one can be. At one time, he is scolding her for smoking a cigarette; the next he is forgiving of the most outlandish behavior. I know he has no knowledge of the flipping in and out but that's an unfair part of this film as well. It's confusing because the central figure acquires new personalities as she shifts in and out of the past; but why? Isn't she really the same person and if she isn't, how does she keep a grip on reality in each place (an memory for that matter). I don't think I could watch it a second time.

George Segal is the estranged father of a 17 year old girl. She is a troubled youth and is played quite ably Amanda Pays. In an attempt to reconnect with his daughter, Segal takes her from London to East Berlin. She is not happy and quite rude to him but he continues to try and please her. The East Berlin setting makes for empty streets and strange encounters. Why he picks this locale is never explained. It's a grim place. The daughter gets into all sorts of strange physic changes which makes her unbalanced and unpredictable.

Warren Clarke has a marvelous part as a "heavy" which is a far cry from his performance as Detective in "Dalziel and Pascoe" (61 episodes)a

It's worth your time if you really need diversion. There are some real "plot holes" so don't expect a satisfactory ending.

"A British girl is traveling with her estranged father in order to attempt to rebuild their relationship. Shortly after they arrive in East Germany, the girl begins to suffer from strange sensations and mental lapses, where she remembers events from World War II that she could never have experienced herself. Is this a case of mental breakdown, is it possible memories from a past life, or is she dealing with a rip in the fabric of time and she is actually experiencing the events for real?" asks the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

James Dearden's "The Cold Room" opens with the telling definition: "Possession: psychological state in which an individual personality is replaced by another." In this case, possession can also be mind-numbingly dull. When she throws up her milk, you'll know ill-tempered Amanda Pays (as Carla Martin) is becoming Nazi-era rape victim "Christa Bruckner". Her father, George Segal (as Hugh Martin), wants to bridge the generation gap, as Ms. Pays goes mad. Pretty, model-like Pays has some serious father problems. Anthony Higgins (as Erich) has a good supporting role.

*** The Cold Room (1984) James Dearden ~ Amanda Pays, George Segal, Anthony Higgins

Enjoyed this film starring George Segal, (Hugh Martin), who plans a trip to visit his girl friend, Lili,(Renee Southendjik) who lives in Germany during the cold war and decides to bring his daughter Carla Martin,(Christa Bruckner). Carla attended a Catholic College and was given a book from a Nun concerning Berlin, Germany during 1936 and WW II and Carla becomes very interested in this book and it has a great effect on Carla's visit to Germany. This is something like a story of "Diary of Anne Frank" and Carla begins to have visions of what it was like during these war years. Carla does not get along very well with Lili and causes all kinds of problems in her hotel room and starts moving furniture all around the room and even starts to steal large amounts of food, silverware, cups plates and acts like a completely crazy person. This is a very interesting film and worth your time in viewing.