My thoughts on 'The Iceman'

The Iceman

Release Date: 7th June 2013

Directed by: Ariel Vromen

Written by: Morgan Land, Ariel Vromen

Starring: Michael Shannon, Ray Liotta, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans

Take Shelter, Boardwalk Empire, Shotgun Stories, Michael Shannon really knows how to play a brooding, unnerving, psychologically tortured character. He’s back to tackle arguably the most dark and violent character of his career: Richard Kuklinsky. Kuklinsky was a notorious contract killer in the 80s, who is said to have killed over 100 people (as the film so proudly claims to add weight to the story). He got the superhero-like name of ‘The Iceman’ because of the fact that he would freeze his victims so that the time of death wouldn’t be known. A cold-blooded human we can all agree, however he is also a kind family man.

   The Iceman wastes no time getting to the killing, cleverly surprising the audience with Kuklinsky slitting a man’s throat provoked by the slightest altercation. This sets the tone well for the rest of the film, as murder is going to be a very flippant thing for the rest of the film. Throughout the film the people he kills are killed quickly or in montages, which gives absolutely no weight to the deaths of his victims.

   These meaningless deaths suck out all of the dark tone the film could have had, and the character barely has depth. Each death should have been gruelling and severe, completely peeling back the insane blood lust of the character, and delving deep into his mind to discover why he did kill. Was it just a job, or was it a deep repressed desire that he found an outlet for through contract killing. The only time we do get a glimpse of this is when Kuklinsky’s boss sidelines him for a while, so that he doesn’t have any work; deprived of his need to kill he becomes angry and violent in his home, whereas he is usually calm and caring when he’s been out on the murder.

   Although Shannon does a reasonable job, as always you can’t deny his stare is just brilliant, it does feel like his abilities are wasted here. If this was a grim, There Will Be Blood-level character study, then Shannon would have been exceptional at extracting the true motivations behind Kuklinsky’s work. Alas, he does not get the chance, because it becomes a generic crime-revenge drama, rather than a deep character study.

   Although it’s a generic crime drama, it’s a decent one. Its attention holding for the most part, and watching Ray Liotta play an unstable Mafioso is always a pleasure (All though his performance in this isn’t on par with the sinister car window moment in Place beyond the Pines). Director Ariel Vromen’s camera work is apt for the genre, giving it a somewhat grimy feel. The real shiner in terms of acting is Chris Evans’ charismatic performance as Kuklinsky’s partner Mr Freeze; although this is enjoyable and occasionally humorous, it’s another thing which lightens the tone far too much for what should have been an in-depth and interesting character study.

So, wrap it the fuck up:

An okay crime drama if you’re a fan of crime films, which is worth a watch if you are just looking for something to occupy you for a while. However heavily disappointing, as there is a feeling it could have been a lot more.

Oh, and David Schwimmer does a surprisingly decent job of playing a mob soldier, once you break out of the "Why the fuck is David Schwimmer in this?" mentality.