The Ice Storm (1997)
Seen on 18 October 1997 with Linda at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas (birthday outing for me) Seen again on 7 November 1997 with Andrea at the same theatre ($17.00) (her birthday outing)
What exactly is an ice storm? Well, it's the sort of storm that is warm enough to let it rain but cold enough to let everything freeze. Even the tiniest tree twigs are covered in heavy, thick ice, that allows you to see the living thing it encases.
The year is 1973, Nixon is trying vainly to defend himself, and life follows its dysfunctional pace for two families in well-off New Canaan, Connecticut. What is truly dysfunctional in the movie is authority. President Nixon is clearly on the decline, as are the parents in the movie; they rarely know what is going on in their parents' lives, and the feeling is mutual. When Jim Carver (Jamey Sheridan) returns from a business trip and announces his arrival, his alienated son Mikey (Elijah Wood) says, "You were gone?"
The backdrop of the 1970s does make for a lot of lighthearted moments--toe socks, garish interior decor, hideous fashions, and wife-swapping; but there is a deep sadness and disturbing feeling throughout *The Ice Storm*. Ang Lee makes wonderful use of silence and music in between the poignant moments of dialogue.
The Hoods and the Carvers have a variety of problems. Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) barely knows how to talk with anyone in his family and is having an affair with Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver). Elena Hood (Joan Allen) looks like a completely stressed out Michelle Pfeiffer, as she envies her daughter's freedom and fends off the advances of the pastor. Jim Carver is almost completely clueless to everything going on around him.
The children fare no better. They are as empty and joyless as their parents. Wendy Hood (Christina Ricci) shows a sexual precociousness with the two Carver boys, while her brother has to fend for himself at private school, tortured by his own virginity as his roommate makes the moves on every girl he wants for himself.
*The Ice Storm* is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. All the performances are great (Christina Ricci stands out in particular), and the direction, music, and settings all underscore the film's basic themes of longing, emptiness, loneliness, and sadness. The 1970s kitsch and the many quirky and humorous moments keep the movie from being overwrought.
Director Ang Lee's short filmography includes *Sense and Sensibility* (1995), *Yinshi nan nu* (1994 -- aka *Eat Drink Man Woman*), *Hsi Yen* (1993 -- *The Wedding Banquet*), *Tui Shou* (1992 -- aka *Pushing Hands*, all of which are wonderfully made and highly entertaining.
Based on a novel by Rick Moody.
More movie reviews by Seth Bookey, with graphics, can be found at http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2679/kino.html
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