Summary
- Cold Copy criticizes unethical media tactics and highlights the lack of integrity among reporters.
- The film feels amateurish and one-note, and treats its message with a sledgehammer, though Jacob Tremblay is particularly good.
- The characters in Cold Copy lack depth and realism, which undermines the overall impact of the movie.
A ruthless journalism student manipulates a troubled teenager to obtain an exposé for her domineering professor, the combative host of an investigative news program. Cold Copy skewers media tactics, unscrupulous reporters, and their cutthroat methods with a dull edge. The sledgehammer message is that those willing to do anything for a story lack integrity and sully a sacred public duty. The search for the truth cannot be tarred with lies. That’s clearly evident in a film utterly devoid of nuance and realistic character dynamics.
Mia Scott (Bel Powley) nervously awaits her interview with the famed Diane Heger (Tracee Ellis Ross). Throngs of journalism post-grads line the hall for a treasured spot in Diane’s class. Mia casually accepts the portfolio of a sick colleague (Ekaterina Baker). She couldn’t care less about her troubles. Impressing Diane could lead to a job on her show and a skyrocketing career.
The cruel Diane eviscerates Mia as she struggles to answer a simple introductory question. You’re wasting my time and obviously don’t belong here. A furious Mia turns around when asked to leave. She curses Diane for not recognizing her aptitude. Mia will make a name for herself. Diane will rue the day she allowed such talent to slip away. A smirk cracks Diane’s icy veneer as she gets her desired response.
The Ruthless Mia
Mia’s joy of getting into the class is quickly replaced by dread. Diane crushes every idea for her class project. Mia has failed in her efforts to be incisive. Fate intervenes with a chance late night encounter. 16-year-old Igor Nowak (Jacob Tremblay) appears out of nowhere to stop a date from sexually harassing Mia. She inexplicably accompanies him home to a large mansion. What’s this kid doing here by himself? Mia realizes that Igor is the son of a famous children’s book author (Helena Marie), who died mysteriously several months ago.
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Writer/director Roxine Helberg takes little time for exposition in her feature debut. Mia’s selfish and calculating nature is apparent within minutes of the open. Her diligence won’t allow anyone to get ahead. Mia has zero compunction with sabotaging her supposed friends if it serves a purpose. She’s a hungry shark circling the water for blood. Diane is the apex predator that Mia desperately desires to be. She delights in watching others squirm in discomfort. Diane’s brutal takedowns reinforce her position of authority to browbeaten underlings at school and work. Everyone is desperate to please her. Diane makes sure they understand she’s the boss and aren’t good enough.
Igor has a schoolboy crush which Mia thankfully never pursues. She pretends to be his friend for the purpose of her story. Helberg’s script has Igor roaming around like a waif left to his own devices. Her reasoning is that his distraught father (James Tupper) would rather ignore Igor than face the loss of his mother. That’s plausible to a certain degree, but doesn’t explain how he’s perpetually unsupervised during the day. Schools check up on chronically absent children. He also couldn’t conceal the abuse he suffers from bullies. Mia’s relationship with Igor would never be allowed to develop. A woman spending this much time with an underage child would never go unnoticed.
Jacob Tremblay as Igor
The majority of the action takes place in four settings: Mia at school, her apartment, Igor’s house, and Diane’s TV studio. The characters bizarrely look the same in almost every interaction. Their wardrobe has few discernible differences as the film progresses. Mia wears blue, Diane a red coat, and Igor sports the same sweatshirt every time you see him. Films are shot in the same location to maximize budget and scheduling, but there’s usually a change in costumes to signify a time shift. This doesn’t happen and makes the direction feel amateurish.
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Mia’s unquenchable thirst for greatness is blinding to a pronounced fault. She does things that no one with common sense or a fear of repercussions would do. Diane’s tyranny and condescension are almost laughable. No teacher could get away with her behavior towards students. Her notoriety would make it impossible to be that abusive. Igor is the most believable as hurt but not foolish or naive. He literally says out loud Mia’s duplicitous intentions. Jacob Tremblay does good work here, playing a very different character than he’s used to. Then Helberg has him so transfixed by Mia’s fawning attention, he simply ignores her wolf’s breath. Powley, Ross, and Tremblay are tremendous actors. The characters they play here are one-note and poorly framed.
Cold Copy flounders in a weak climax. It’s unfathomable that Diane or Mia would allow themselves to be duped for the other’s benefit. The same flaw persists where smart people, who ostensibly know better, allow dumb things to happen. Schemers don’t fall for scams. They perpetuate them as sociopaths. Helberg has a valid point about the media’s dreadful state and the muckrakers that pervade slime. If only she had better means to deliver that lesson.
Cold Copy is a production of Sycthia Films, ShivHans Pictures, Needle’s Eye, and 30WEST. It will have a concurrent theatrical and VOD release on January 26th from Vertical.
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