Review of The Ice Storm (1997) by Cherry D — 23 Nov 2008

[playing with a soldier doll].

Wendy: "Well, looks like somebody got to his private parts before us.".

Sandy: "Communist Viet Cong".

Wendy: "They left it in the jungle".

Really liked it, don't know why I hadn't heard of it before. With a dream cast and brilliant acting, it takes a cynical and sardonic look inside the lives of two middle-class American families in the 70's. Every relationship portrayed is disfunctional in one way or another but you still seem able to sympathise with all of them on some level. The kids are amazing, (particularly Christina Ricci playing the precocious Wendy) all suffering through the pains of adolescence and at the same time trying to find themselves, adds important emotional dimensions. The way the parents deal with their kids borders on amusing at times, and you can't help but feel if it wasn't for their lack or good parenting skills, the events that ocurred could have been avoided. But as you'll see it's all too little, too late.

Darkly amusing, traumatic, beautiful, sentimental but never unrealistic.