Phantom Movie Reviews

See Trailer Here
Movie: Frozen River. Now playing at the Fargo, an indie with two academy award nominations, Frozen River. From the start. be prepared to watch a "slice of life" move about people who view status in terms of how big the trailer in which they live is. This a small movie, with three main characters: Ray Eddy, whose alcoholic husband has left her together with the family fortune two days before Christmas, her 15 year old son T.J. who's tired of it all and tries to improve the family lot by fair means or foul, and a Mohawk Native American woman named Little Wolf. Ray is played by Melissa Leo, Little Wolf by Missy Upham and TJ by Charlie McDermott.

Ray is trying to raise her two sons on a part time salary at the local Yankee Big Dollar Store, Little Wolf makes her living smuggling illegal immigrants
from Canada to the US across the frozen river that apparently splits the Mohawk reservation, part of which is in Canada and part in the US. The US Canadian border passes through the reservation, and thus is patrolled by and only by the Tribal Police. The only problem is that Little Wolf doesn't have a car: Ray Eddy does. Their paths cross and the story develops from their based simply on the fact that Ray needs money(badly) and Little Wolf knows how to get it.

So the above is the setting for a drama involving the three characters so far mentioned. Some would say the river is also one of the players, since it has to stay frozen in order for the scheme to work. I did not find the story or its telling particularly remarkable, but I always enjoy portrayals of Native American culture. I do find it curious that the various tribes seem to have very similar cultures on their reservations, and speak English with very similar tongues. I don't know why that would be, but I'm sure somebody does.

The main strength of this movie to me is the performance by the three main actors. Each gives what I think a sterling performance. If you like art for arts sake(or movies for movies sake) then I think this movie a must see. If you like slice of life movies this will do, sort of like Under the Same Moon without nearly the impact, then I think this movie a good bet. If you want good literature on the screen or lots of action, then I don't think this would interest you. But lord, what acting.

Acting: A+
Script: B-
Relevance: B

-The Downtown Duster