Review of The Iceman (2012) by Violet J — 28 Jan 2013

I read a book about Richard "Iceman" Kuklinski a few years back, and always wondered why - out of all the fact-based mob movies to come out since the dawn of mob movies - no one had made one about him.

Ariel Vromen finally stepped up to the plate, and I got my chance to see The Iceman at TIFF in 2012. It was interesting, but I was disappointed in how they didn't really seem to capture just how notorious a mass murderer Richard Kuklinski was.

The story picks up in the '50s with Kuklinski out on a date with the woman he eventually marries, and continues on into his career as a hitman until his arrest in the '80s. There is one vague reference to his past, but there isn't much character development.

In the post-screening Q&A, Vromen explained that he chose not to depict Kuklinski's childhood because he didn't want to further ascertain the notion that an abusive upbringing often breeds violent behaviour.

That is understandable, but it doesn't really explain why he chose to not to elaborate on the violent years before Kuklinski's career as a mob hitman, which helped shape the diabolical killing machine he developed into.

Some pivotal moments of his life and career - which would have added some depth to the film - were completely disregarded. There is a large amount of focus on his home life, but even then it doesn't probe too deeply, either.

However, it's still one of the better crime-dramas to come out in recent years. Michael Shannon's outstanding performance in the titular role - despite a pretty dry script - and a strong supporting cast carry a lot of the weight, but they ultimately failed to capture how dangerous a threat Rich Kuklinski actually was.

It could have been better, but it's at least worth a watch if mob movies are your thing.