The Phantom Tollbooth - Movies Reviews Index


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Home Subscribe About Us Features News Album Reviews Movie Reviews Past Movies Movie Resources Concert Reviews Book Reviews Top 10 Contact Us	Frozen River Stars: Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Michael O’Keefe, Mark Boone, Jr. Charlie McDermott Director/Scriptwriter: Courtney Hunt Cinematography: Reed Morano Composers: Peter Galub and Shadzad Ismaily Cohen Media Rating: R for language and violence Running Length: 98 minutes When your husband leaves, you have two kids to support, your boss won’t let you work full-time and your trailer home is about to be possessed (plus your TV and furniture), what do you do? In the world of Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo), you do what it takes to put food on the table. Oh, did I mention that Christmas is just around the corner? Courtney Hunt’s screenplay tosses all of this at the audience and expects you to go along with it. For the most part, it works, due to Leo’s intensity and that of her co-star, Misty Upham (Lily). The film begins showing us another view of poverty. This time on the border between the U.S. and Canada and right next to a Mohawk Reservation. The border between two countries is water here, and when frozen over, the river forms a road. A way to make quick money is to have a car with a latch trunk, be a white person (not stopped by police) and accept money to take illegal aliens from Canada to the U.S. As stated to Ray Eddy by Lily, “This is considered reservation land so we can do what we want. On the other side, the police won’t stop you because you are white.” Ray Eddy resorts to smuggling through a series of unpleasant encounters with Lily, who is Mohawk, Ray thinks Lily stole a car, while Lily claims she found it abandoned (it belongs to Rays runaway husband.) Ray shoots a hole in Lily’s trailer house, while Lily manages to get the gun away from Ray and the two women eventually forge an uneasy, not-trusting-each-other friendship. On Lily’s side, we discover her child was taken away by the baby’s grandmother, Lily not working at the time. Lily needs money for a new trailer and to get the baby back. Ray Eddy copes with two children, one a teenager (Mark Boone, Jr.) who has his own money scam going on, and a younger child who still believes in Santa Claus. The husband certainly isn’t coming back, as he is a compulsive gambler, and Ray is threatened by foreclosure, plus serving popcorn and flavored water for supper. The acting is very well done, especially Melissa Leo, whose tired countenance ages her before her time. Lily is smart-mouthed, but as portrayed by Misty Upham, has a warm side, too and we see this through small gestures. You feel the frozen shards of winter and shiver in the theater. Cinematography by Reed Morano highlights driving such a dangerous ice road by night. The aliens are frightened and treated as cattle. People who transport them are rough and violent. No wonder Ray Eddy carries a gun. The one true person in this scenario is the police officer (Michael O’Keefe) who tries to look the other way, knowing the circumstances. We also get to see the Mohawk side of living within the reservation. Frozen River has moments of improbability and co-incidence. Just when you are going along, the writer persists in reminding you of something. We get it, it's poverty, don’t overkill the idea. Poverty is grinding and more so when you live in a climate where going outside and staying there can mean death. Bill collectors have their ways of collecting and people owing have their ways of avoiding collections. I would have liked to see the kids at school, but that didn’t happen. Friendships can be forged over unusual circumstances. Anyone thinking of crossing the U. S. border to or from Canada, cane take notes on how it is done. Deceptively easy. Copyright 2008 Marie Asner