Review: Frozen River
Rating: ***
Nonna's Rating: $$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Frozen River is not a feel good movie. Even winter in Chicago looks balmy in comparison to the frozen moonscapes of northern New York and Quebec. There are glimmers of hope by the end, but, at that point, we know too much about the characters and their circumstances to foresee any dramatic changes in the way they approach life or make decisions.
This is the story of two single mothers: one (Melissa Leo) trapped by her gender and lack of education; the other (Misty Upham) trapped by her gender and race -- and both are trapped by their poverty, living from week to week on minimal wages and illegal earnings. And, oh yes, this is a thriller of sorts -- a hold-your-breath kind of movie. There's nothing like driving over a frozen river to Canada on smuggling runs. I probably haven't succeeded in making you want to see this movie, but, trust me, it's worth it -- not the least because of the compellingly real performances of the two leads.
Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it
No comments:
Post a Comment