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Frozen River

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Original title

Frozen River

Year

2008

Running time

97 min.

Country

United States

Director

Courtney Hunt

Screenwriter

Courtney Hunt

Cast

Music

Peter Golub, Shahzad Ali Ismaily

Cinematography

Reed Morano

Producer

Sony Pictures Classics

Genre

Drama | Immigration. Small Town Life (North-american). Cold Weather. Independent Film (US)

Synopsis

Two days before Christmas in rural upstate New York, Ray Eddy’s husband has left her in an impossible situation—not only is he gone, but he has gambled away all of the family’s meager savings. Ray’s single wage at the Yankee One Dollar Store can’t make the house payment, and the situation forces Ray to feed her two sons popcorn and Tang every day. When Ray strikes out to search for her husband, she encounters Lila Littlewolf, a tough, street-smart Mohawk woman who is dealing with her own struggle to make ends meet. But Lila has found a way to do it—smuggling illegal immigrants into the States. The tribal elders disapprove and attempt to stop Lila by forbidding anyone to sell her a car. Ray has a car, and although the two women don’t trust each other, they team up and share Ray’s Dodge Spirit to make a run across the frozen St. Lawrence River.

Awards: 2008: 2 Nominations for Oscar: Best Leading Actress (Melissa Leo), Original Screenplay

2008: National Board of Review: Best Director novel, Spotlight Award (Melissa Leo)

2008: New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Best First Film. 2 Nominations

2008: Sundance Film Festival: Best Movie

2008: San Sebastian Film Festival: Best Actress (Melissa Leo) (ex-aequo)

2008: Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Runner Up for Best Actress (Melissa Leo)

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Critics' reviews

"A Sundance hit that is both absorbing and bleak, Frozen River is anchored by powerful performances, believable scenarios and excellent writing."

Claudia Puig: USA Today
"Made with uncommon skill and assurance, the film never succumbs to rank sentimentality, but it manages to get at the nuances of human relationships."

Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post
"'Frozen River' does what too many independent American movies only pretend to do: Takes you to an unnoticed corner of our country and shows what it's like to actually live there."

Ty Burr: Boston Globe
"Hunt finely balances a subtly staged character study with a tale that grows increasingly tense"

Robert Koehler: Variety
"Leo and Upham give performances of great conviction and the film is bold and uncliched (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"

Peter Bradshaw: The Guardian
"Occasionally marred by contrivance and a crude internal logic that doesn’t bear close scrutiny, ‘Frozen River’ works best as a knuckle-gnawing, blue-collar genre thriller"

David Jenkins: Time Out
"'Frozen River' represents one of the best examples of the new trend for austerity and social realism in American indie cinema."

Wendy Ide: The Times

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Ranking Lists Position

70 My Top 10 Movies from 2008 (45)

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Frozen River

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