Rating: 8/10
Running Time: 97 minutes
US Certificate: R
Melissa Leo is to the Oscars Best Actress category what Richard Jenkins of The Visitor is to Best Actorneither have a chance in hell of winning, but both probably should. Just like Jenkins, Leo pulls off one of those performances that leaves you feeling like youve just seen a slice out of someones lifeshe just is Ray Eddy. Whats even better, though, is that this is writer/director Courtney Hunts first major feature, and with it even getting a little bit of a push from Leos nomination, that means that maybe Hunt will get to tell some more stories.
THIS story starts just a little bit before Christmas, and all Ray Eddy (Leo) wants is enough money so she wont lose the deposit on her new doublewide. Things are complicated, though, because her gambling addict husband has skipped town with the little money they have, shes not making much at her part-time job, and her sons are eating popcorn and Tang for dinner. A chance encounter with Lila (Misty Upham), a young Mohawk woman living on a nearby reservation, introduces Ray to the world of border smuggling, but though the money is good, the job becomes more and more dangerous.
What I loved about this movie is that, going in, I had no idea what to expectcrime drama? Preachy allegory? Depressing character piece? Its really none of that. It just simply ISit exists as a story about people dealing with real life problems, and it works because it never veers too far towards the mundane or too far towards fantasy (there are a few scenes that almost strain my credulityduffel bag, cough, coughbut even these work within the greater context of the story). Hunts story is full of people who react realistically to real situations, even when those situations seem to be spiraling out of control. Leo is, as mentioned, amazing, but Upham humanizes a girl whos written as hardas a director, Hunt definitely gets subtle work from her two leads. Frozen River seems bleakits shot in a town full of ice, snow, and not surprisingly, a frozen river, and when were not seeing cold, were seeing dark. Theres a desperation to everyone, highlighted by the hopelessness of unending cold. Whats great, though, is that the script never gives in to the darkness completely, nor does it offer a happy resolutionall we get is a fully realized and totally original look at how lives can suddenly intertwine inconceivably and the way decisions can send us down paths we never expected.
It's Got: Perfect setting, spot on acting, a very cute baby.
It Needs: A sweater.
Summary
Hopefully it will get a post-Oscar boost, because this gritty tale of a woman driven to great lengths to provide for her family deserves to be seen.