fredroyer
I've been on something of an Ang Lee retrospective lately.
He made this film before Ride with the Devil and Crouching Tiger, films where he really let the camera dance.Since the camera can't dance here (it's purely a kitchen sink drama - all interiors for the most part), something else has to serve as the reflexive action for the viewer.The film is rooted in Christina Ricci's performance. Her character is a liar, and she lies through the entire movie except at the end where she comforts the other brother.The framework is the 70s and Watergate. As Watergate teaches us, it's the lie that gets you. Every character in this movie is lying to everyone else.
classicsoncall
An ice storm is the perfect metaphor for virtually all the characters in this movie, as each walks the Earth with a virtual glaze of frozen mist covering their eyes while attempting to navigate family and personal relationships. The country was well on it's way to losing it's moral anchor in the 1970's, the chronological setting of the film, and no wonder. Sexual experimentation led to an 'if it feels good, do it' mentality, while drugs and alcohol loosened any inhibitions one might have had on the way to a swinging lifestyle. For the most part, it only led to alienation and a dissolution of self respect. It might have been helpful if this story had even one redeeming character, but instead, each one operated in a moral vacuum, adults and teen children alike. But after all, aren't the kids just following their parents' example? Ang Lee directs superbly in this ensemble study of defective middle class values and senses devoid of feeling. Aside from the effective character study, I'd have to question the judgment of someone like Jim Carver (Jamey Sheridan), suggesting that he and his neighbor Elena Hood (Joan Allen) go for a ride in the middle of one of the nastiest ice storms on record. Not only did they drop all pretense of acting like responsible adults with their wham-bam affair, but who in their right mind thinks you can navigate a vehicle on a roadway of sheer ice?
spencergrande6
This is how you do Thanksgiving. This is a really good movie about a very specific time period in a very specific type of people's lives. Great actors, great acting, great pacing. It's all about the selfish "me" generation of the 70's, neglecting their kids and swinging and cheating and me me me. I think. And also about what those kids learn from the mistakes of their parents. It's a generations movie and there's a Fantastic Four analogy that keeps happening. Something about saving the world while a kid is in danger but if any one person gets too much power they all suffer (Me, is the downfall of the family unit). A really good and involving film.
powermandan
I honestly think 1997 was the best year for movies. Look at all the calibre hits that came out that year. Even the non-great films (The Edge, Spawn) were still cool to see.Out of everything that came out that year, The Ice Storm is the most overlooked. I had only heard of it after seeing Gene Siskel's annual Top 10 lists. He ranked this the best movie of 1997. Although I disagree that it is the best, it is certainly in my top 10.The Ice Storm stars Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes and David Krumholtz. Aside from Titanic, this has the best cast of 1997. The movie is about two neighbouring families: the Hoods (Kline, Allen, Maguire, Ricci) and the Carvers (Weaver, Sheridan, Wood, Byrd). Each member have their own subplots that are ruining their lives, and eventually intertwine. Kline is sleeping with Weaver and struggling with drinking; Allen suspects infidelity; Wood wants to get serious with Ricci but she wants to do some exploration; Maguire gets high with his prep friends and wants Holmes. The coldest storm ever is about to hit and effect everyone. This is a coming of age story for everyone in it. I could really relate to every subplot. Everybody is selfish and not caring about the other, that is pretty much what the movie is about. When the storm hits, some images stay with you as they symbolize different things in the story. Sometimes, ice is a nice thing to see and we also see it in its darkness. Each time the ice changes its mood, it foreshadows the mood coming up. The ice could also be used to represent how the main characters are: cold. None of the characters are really nice or likable. But they are still very compelling and interesting. How Ang Lee could do that is beyond me. They live in the woods in suburban New York. That could show how isolated they are with reality and the rest of the world. It all builds up to a shocking and heartfelt conclusion that stays with you for a long time. The denouement is a real tearjerker. Afterwards, you are left thinking about the movie as a whole and what it all says. Everything that the movie says is phenomenal.Still Ang Lee's best movie.
AD
