Cold Copy

By: MJ Asuncion

Though the story is fiction, Cold Copy reflects today’s society. The themes of the film are of perceived identity and truth, which are relevant in many parts of daily life. Social media is the perfect example of perceived identity. Entertainment media is greatly about perception of truth. You create the image you want people to see. Even in news, there is fact but there are also narrative choices on how to tell the story.

Cold Copy dives into the world of journalism where, although there is a quest for literal truth, there is still the sense of perception. The writer must make decisions of how much detail to include or where to start and end the story. This can change the way a viewer or reader interprets the story. The film puts focus on ambitious journalism student Mia Scott (Bel Powley), who is eager to impress esteemed cable news icon Diane Heger (Tracee Ellis Ross). She would do anything to stay a step ahead of her peers, including betraying her roommate and friend (Nesta Cooper). Mia struggles to gain Diane’s recognition until she lands the opportunity to profile Igor, the teenage son (Jacob Tremblay) of a recently deceased children’s author. Diane pushes Mia to go after the gory details behind the death, even if it means exposing Igor behind his back. Mia’s morals are sharply diminishing as she becomes more entangled in her quest.

The film is driven by the dynamic between its lead actresses. Tracee Ellis Ross is perfect in the role of the cutthroat news reporter Diane Heger, exuding confidence and power. It is easy to see why people cower in her presence and why many, like Mia, long for her approval and praise. Bel Powley effortlessly balances Mia’s drive and deception. Viewers are left guessing as to what lengths she will go and what lines she will cross to get what she wants.

Cold Copy is the incredible work of debut filmmaker Roxine Helberg. She makes an impressive showing with her first feature as both writer and director. She also produced the film alongside Justin Lothrop, Brent Stiefel and Daniel Bekerman. Helberg effectively uses her two main leads’ chemistry to drive the pace of the dramatic thriller. The intensity of Mia and Diane’s relationship is apparent from their very first scene together and steadily builds as the story progresses. The push and pull between Mia and Diane is essential to the story’s themes and Helberg was able to capture this beautifully with even the smallest of interactions between them. Throughout the film certain colors seemed to be tied to each character. When asked, Helberg said this was a deliberate choice. As they were developing the characters, they defined each by certain colors, which would evolve as the characters evolved. I thought this to be an interesting detail that was woven into the story.

This story is similar to that of other films that came before, but Cold Copy does give a fresh look at the boundaries of morality and truth. The story moves at a steady pace and the characters are relatable, even if exaggerated for the plot. Cold Copy does a good job to keep the viewer engaged and it is worth a watch.