Frozen River
I came back from a preview screening of writer/director Courtney Hunt's debut feature
Frozen River. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Melissa Leo stars as Ray Eddy. Ray is a down and out mother of two. She and her family live in upstate New York near the Canadian border. Her gambling addicted husband has taken off with their meager savings. Ray works at a convenience store and her salary barely buys the family enough to eat. But a chance encounter with a Native American woman named Lila (Misty Upham) provides her with a way to make much more money. The way was to help transport illegal aliens across the border.
The film has been called a thriller but I wouldn't say that it is. There are a few suspenseful scenes but not enough to make it a thriller. Someone else called it a dramedy, which it certainly is not. There is very little humor in this film. I would say that it is a slice of life drama. People like this do exist (director Hunt met many of them in preparation for this film). They really do live hardscrabble existences just like Ray and Lila do.
I think that Hunt did a pretty good job but it does feel like a first film. During the Q & A that followed the film she revealed that she cut something out of the film that my friend and I thought was crucial. Big mistake. But still and all this is a good beginning for her. The film was beautiful to look at and really captured the snowy winter of upstate New York. The film was, for the most part, well acted with Upham, Charlie McDermott as Ray's older son TJ and James Reilly as her younger son Ricky particularly good. But the best thing about the film is Leo. She was wonderful in the role and it was very brave of her to allow her face to be shot at such close angles. She has been doing good work for years and I hope that this film helps her get the recognition she deserves.
The bottom line is - Frozen River is a good but not great film. But it is worth seeking out if just for Melissa Leo's outstanding performance.
Frozen River. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Melissa Leo stars as Ray Eddy. Ray is a down and out mother of two. She and her family live in upstate New York near the Canadian border. Her gambling addicted husband has taken off with their meager savings. Ray works at a convenience store and her salary barely buys the family enough to eat. But a chance encounter with a Native American woman named Lila (Misty Upham) provides her with a way to make much more money. The way was to help transport illegal aliens across the border.
The film has been called a thriller but I wouldn't say that it is. There are a few suspenseful scenes but not enough to make it a thriller. Someone else called it a dramedy, which it certainly is not. There is very little humor in this film. I would say that it is a slice of life drama. People like this do exist (director Hunt met many of them in preparation for this film). They really do live hardscrabble existences just like Ray and Lila do.
I think that Hunt did a pretty good job but it does feel like a first film. During the Q & A that followed the film she revealed that she cut something out of the film that my friend and I thought was crucial. Big mistake. But still and all this is a good beginning for her. The film was beautiful to look at and really captured the snowy winter of upstate New York. The film was, for the most part, well acted with Upham, Charlie McDermott as Ray's older son TJ and James Reilly as her younger son Ricky particularly good. But the best thing about the film is Leo. She was wonderful in the role and it was very brave of her to allow her face to be shot at such close angles. She has been doing good work for years and I hope that this film helps her get the recognition she deserves.
The bottom line is - Frozen River is a good but not great film. But it is worth seeking out if just for Melissa Leo's outstanding performance.
posted by Film Fanatic | 8:06 PM
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