The Cold Room

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.

This was a made-for-cable affair, but is/was available on VHS. The main and overriding sense one gets in watching this film is, "Great Scott! Will somebody wake these people up?" Which is another way of saying it is boring and dreary. But more than that, it seems like the whole production is in some sort of funk. Start with George Segal. I'm a fan. He may be remembered to people now as the guy from "Just Shoot Me." But up until the early 80s, the guy was a capital-letters Movie Star, whose main asset was a sense of fun and vigor he brought into the various quirky roles he played. His star was fading when this was made and it is clear why. In THE COLD ROOM, he seems preoccupied, dazed, out of it. Just sad to see a once- vibrant person bring nothing to the table.

But he's not the only one. Pays (Mrs. Corbin Bernson), has little spark to her character. The whole plot involves people in present-day Germany, one of whom discovers a link to a past romance with a character from Germany's Nazi past. It might have helped if Pays (or anyone else) brought a little energy to the set. But since the whole thing is pretty lifeless, directed by the book, scripted with no surprises, etc...the "who cares" factor is high. The movie is inoffensive but seems almost intentionally boring. Like the people who made it wanted it to be quickly forgotten.

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.

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.

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.