Review of The Ice Storm (1997) by White R — 28 Jun 2008

In Ang Lee's exquisite, subtly shattering masterpiece, the titular storm isn't the only thing that's frozen; its characters are stuck in various ruts, immobilized by boredom and depression.

They search for increasingly risky highs, most notably through sexual explorations. In fact, there's even an awkward key party in which realism quickly dashes any notions of kinky, careless fun. Sex, rather, is treated as a chore, an emotionless escape or, in the case of the teenaged children in the story, a frightening and perhaps even distasteful requirement for growing up.

Everything in this film is carefully observed and treated with an artist's touch for symbolism and deeper meaning. With every passing minute, the tension builds and you can never quite shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

After masterstrokes of foreshadowing, a tragedy does finally occur in the climax and its effect on one character finally cracks the facade, melts the ice and causes an emotional breakdown. One that, by the looks of it, has been long overdue.

Eight years later, Lee would direct his most famous picture, "Brokeback Mountain." For my money, however, he has yet to top this painful and unforgettable examination of families undone by the whip-lash tail end of the sexual revolution.