Review of Frozen River (2008) by Ben R — 20 Mar 2015

This movie is right on the edge of "love" territory, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and give it four stars.

This is a film style I really like. It's kind of low-key, indie crime, almost noirish, like Brick or The Lookout. It's the kind of movie that isn't gonna win a ton of Oscars (I was actually surprised to learn that this was nominated for Best Screenplay and Best Actress, though both deserve it). It's just a small story that feels all the more realistic because of how small it is.

First of all, there's Melissa Leo, who I haven't seen in anything until now, but she's wonderful. I'm really into characters/actresses like Ray/Leo, because they're not huge performances that are super into theatrics and dramatics. I wouldn't normally expect the Oscars to nominate actresses like this, because the Academy is usually into big transformations or historical depictions, but between Melissa Leo in 2014 and Marion Cotillard for Two Days, One Night this year, it seems like they recognize them sometimes. Anyways, Ray is a great character, very understated, and you can sense that she's just desperately trying to keep everything together. There are cathartic scenes, though, too, like the marvelous one when she and TJ (played by Charlie McDermott, who I was thrilled to see after loving him in The Middle) get into a fight. There's one moment that's so beautiful, probably my favorite in the movie: when TJ basically admits that he knows his father is a horrible father. It's so powerful because he's been taking it all out on his mother throughout the movie, frustrated with her and wishing she could somehow take his father's place, but in that moment, he shows that he's not ignorant or idolizing his father. He resents him, too, and it culminates in a heartbreaking hug between he and his mother.

Then there are the thriller elements of the movie, which are also great. There are some super, super tense scenes, and the whole climax when the police are chasing them is thrilling. I love the ending, too; at first I thought it would end with Ray sacrificing her relationship with Lila and sticking with her kids, which is a morally gray area to begin with considering it's hard to argue that she'd be selfish for taking care of her kids instead of this random woman she just met. But then it ends even better, with her sacrificing four months with her kids to save a lifelong relationship between Lila and her child. It's a beautiful display of sacrifice and selflessness, and the movie ends on a refreshing hopeful note.