Great film about relationships and character
From this excellent movie. Ang Lee perfectly and convincingly captures
the look and feel of two dysfunctional families in 1970s rural America. The acting is so good that in some scenes you cringe when ignorant characters make fools of themselves. The film is split right down the middle. First of all we have the story lines of the two affairing families and second of all there's the story of their children's' relationships with each other. Although Tobey Maguire does the voice-over on this film he is not really in it much but his scenes add some light-relief to a movie that is otherwise dark in tone. The only (tiny, little) gripe I have is that you never find out why Sandy Carver is a little strange. Or maybe you do and I'm just not concentrating enough. See this movie the next time you get a chance and it'll change your opinion of all those souless blockbusters out there that give you only visual effects rather than a real story.. sport watch Willow movie
Nice movie with a great cast and a very good story..
Be Forewarned: The Pacing is Sloooooooow
The Ice Storm is a startling look at 1973 America and how lost so many
people (parents, children, neighbors, etc.) became during this transitional time. The free-love of the 60s spill over into the 30 and 40-somethings of a sleepy Connecticut community and runs smack into the dysfunctional family of Ben and Elena Hood (Kevin Kline and Joan Allen). Ben is having an affair with his neighbors wife, Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver, ALIENS), and the boredom they both feel during their "love making" is palpable. They want something different to happen, but what that "something" is remains unobtainable. And the two's lackadaisical attitudes toward sex, family, and the times seep into their everyday lives; even into their spouses' and children. Ben's wife Elena gets caught shoplifting from the local pharmacy. Janey's husband Jim goes away on long business trips and returns with funks of depression because of what he witnesses going on in his family. The children of Ben and Janey are also settling into this bizarre behavior. Some of them explore sexuality in often strange ways, or run out into storms and play on ice-covered roads. Others blow things up with M80 firecrackers, or smoke pot and drink to numb themselves out. But all of these people's lives will change in an unalterable way during one evening; an ice storm has hit and the cold outside bashes against the cold each character feels inside. Some will live, some will die, and others will never be the same. The attention to detail on the 70s in director Ang Lee's movie is astounding. The sweater-vest outfits, paneled station wagons, and boxy homes were excellently filmed. You can also feel the dark undercurrent running through the characters' lives: the grayish landscape cinematography against the quiet homes that harbor secrets. The cast was absolutely perfect, too. Kevin Kline (one of my favorite actors), Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen, Elijah Wood, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Christina Ricci, and Jamey Sheridan all pull in stunning performances. Having gushed over how well done the movie was, I do have to comment on its pacing. If you thought SIDEWAYS was snail-like, this movie may make you feel as though grass could grow faster. Director Ang Lee has had some serious success in Hollywood as of late (BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, 2005), but this earlier work is an excellent way to see how he's grown in the intervening years.. |
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