Review of The Ice Storm (1997) by Sean O — 17 Feb 2008

So we've all seen a million shoddy soppy dull as fuck family dramas- the genre is full of garbage, that's just a fact. This one is not only the best of its genre, but I'd call it one of the greatest films ever.

Set in Connecticut in the 1970's, 'The Ice Storm' follows two equally failed marriages and how the families' children become victims of their parents' drained depressing lives. There seems to be a predominant focus on the relationships between the unfulfilled stressed parents and their reserved nerdy teenage children.

Weaver, Allen and Maguire are excellent, and goddess Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood form the most talented movie partnership in film history. The characters are perfectly defined by the beautiful script, the visuals are amazing and the themes are meticulously and poetically explored, to extents which other dramas can only envy.

If I could rate it 6 stars I would, if just for that lush red poncho of Ricci's. Absolutely phenomenal, and in no way a reflection of Ang Lee's other work...