The Ice Storm (B+ or 3/4 stars)
A suburban Connecticut sector of families experiment with casual sex in 'The Ice Storm', directed by Ang Lee (Sense & Sensibility). Thanksgiving, 1973: politically, America was floundering; following the devastation of the Vietnam War & Nixon's tainted office run. No one trusted the government. So the upstanding morals that our country inhabited for several decades going was put in jeopardy. Adults & children alike began sexual experimentations, heavy alcohol use (& not for 'fun'), rampant drug use, crime, & general moral deterioration. Everyone was feeling pangs of disillusionment, fear, impulsiveness, & cynicism.
It's also the beginning of the era of divorces. Parents began giving up; relegating to separations, adultery, & the eventual splitting up of children. Even the children began to be irresponsible; rebelling. This film microcosms the Hood family: Paul is your average 16 yr. old; home for the holidays. His hormones are raging & decides to direct them towards a rich, city girl from his prep school; escaping his dreary Connecticut home to see her is feasible. Wendy (Christina Ricci) is his 14 yr. old sister; highly curious about sex, & willing to act upon some youthful frivolity.
Ben & Elena (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen) appear to be their normal parents/husband/wife. But what they embody is a falsehood. Ben is getting bored, hates his job, & starts an affair with a provocative neighbor (Sigourney Weaver). Elena, inwardly lonely, ponders her options. And everything comes to a head one fateful night, during an ice storm (the worst in a century), where Ben & Elena have attended a party in which massive amounts of alcohol was consumed, & the swapping of car keys lead to some lascivious acts. Disaster strikes & the lives of every character involved will never be the same.
Ang Lee does an amazing job showing how middle-America's 'family' lost their way in the 70's; and the inescapable consequences of sexually & socially rebelling from what worked well enough in the past. 'The Ice Storm' is a well-made, superbly acted, intelligent, intuitive, perceptive, poignant, darkly humorous film that turns very dour & bitter in its final moments (a word of caution to most viewers). In fact, while the climax has some degree of 'hope' to it, it's also coincidingly jarring & despairing; traits that almost dissuaded me from giving this film a passing grade. Of course, I had to. It's just too good to ignore. Every person in this movie is interesting. They are immature (mostly the adults), multi-dimensional characters; chock full of strengths & weaknesses. Whether it's brother/sister relationships, husband/wife, mom/dad, ot neighbor-to-neighbor ... each actor nails the interactions.
Highlights include Kevin Kline as a not-so-innocent person whom we 'do' feel sympathy for in small flourishes. Christina Ricci's Wendy is one that will not be forgotten. Forget Wednesday Addams, Ricci shows here that she really can act with both aggression & subtle, vulnerable nuance. And Sigourney Weaver is wonderful as the all-knowing, sexy adultress. Her face is embedded in my memory. The Ice Storm's climax left me hanging out to dry in the cold, icy wind of depression; with no foreseeable reason to think that things we be okay for these people. So, while the acting & filmmaking is incredible, it's just a very difficult film to love. Critics & high-brow cinephiles may appreciate this more so than most mainstream moviegoers.
It's also the beginning of the era of divorces. Parents began giving up; relegating to separations, adultery, & the eventual splitting up of children. Even the children began to be irresponsible; rebelling. This film microcosms the Hood family: Paul is your average 16 yr. old; home for the holidays. His hormones are raging & decides to direct them towards a rich, city girl from his prep school; escaping his dreary Connecticut home to see her is feasible. Wendy (Christina Ricci) is his 14 yr. old sister; highly curious about sex, & willing to act upon some youthful frivolity.
Ben & Elena (Kevin Kline, Joan Allen) appear to be their normal parents/husband/wife. But what they embody is a falsehood. Ben is getting bored, hates his job, & starts an affair with a provocative neighbor (Sigourney Weaver). Elena, inwardly lonely, ponders her options. And everything comes to a head one fateful night, during an ice storm (the worst in a century), where Ben & Elena have attended a party in which massive amounts of alcohol was consumed, & the swapping of car keys lead to some lascivious acts. Disaster strikes & the lives of every character involved will never be the same.
Ang Lee does an amazing job showing how middle-America's 'family' lost their way in the 70's; and the inescapable consequences of sexually & socially rebelling from what worked well enough in the past. 'The Ice Storm' is a well-made, superbly acted, intelligent, intuitive, perceptive, poignant, darkly humorous film that turns very dour & bitter in its final moments (a word of caution to most viewers). In fact, while the climax has some degree of 'hope' to it, it's also coincidingly jarring & despairing; traits that almost dissuaded me from giving this film a passing grade. Of course, I had to. It's just too good to ignore. Every person in this movie is interesting. They are immature (mostly the adults), multi-dimensional characters; chock full of strengths & weaknesses. Whether it's brother/sister relationships, husband/wife, mom/dad, ot neighbor-to-neighbor ... each actor nails the interactions.
Highlights include Kevin Kline as a not-so-innocent person whom we 'do' feel sympathy for in small flourishes. Christina Ricci's Wendy is one that will not be forgotten. Forget Wednesday Addams, Ricci shows here that she really can act with both aggression & subtle, vulnerable nuance. And Sigourney Weaver is wonderful as the all-knowing, sexy adultress. Her face is embedded in my memory. The Ice Storm's climax left me hanging out to dry in the cold, icy wind of depression; with no foreseeable reason to think that things we be okay for these people. So, while the acting & filmmaking is incredible, it's just a very difficult film to love. Critics & high-brow cinephiles may appreciate this more so than most mainstream moviegoers.