Sunday, August 31, 2008
A+E, Movies, Reviews

Authentic characters surface in ‘Frozen River’

“Frozen River” is about the kind of real Americans you rarely see in movies...

Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Melissa Leo in “Frozen River”

“FROZEN RIVER”
Melissa Leo, Misty Upham
Directed by Courtney Hunt
Rated R
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

“Frozen River” is about the kind of real Americans you rarely see in movies. The setting is Massena, New York, across the frozen St. Lawrence River from Quebec. Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo) works part-time at a bargain store and takes care of her two sons, T.J. (Charlie McDermott), 15, and Ricky (James Reilly), five. Their father, a compulsive gambler, has just disappeared—one week before Christmas—with the money needed to buy a new double-wide.

Fate pairs Ray with a Mohawk woman, Lila (Misty Upham), and soon she’s driving across river and bringing illegal immigrants back in her trunk. There’s no border issue, Lila explains, because it’s Mohawk land on both sides.

Desperation trumps whatever morality might be involved, and the women make several more runs, reaching something approaching friendship along the way. Ray learns Lila had a son a year ago, but her mother stole him from the hospital and the tribal council won’t interfere in such matters. “Frozen River” never quite becomes an action movie, but it gets suspenseful before final scenes illustrate the difference between Indian and white systems of justice.

“Frozen River” is receiving attention mostly for Melissa Leo’s performance, a breakout role for a long-dependable supporting player. What seems to impress people most is Leo’s “bravery” in allowing herself to show her age. That’s the only funny thing about “Frozen River,” the kind of solid drama that gives indie films a good name. 3 STARS—Steve Warren