The Ice Storm

Studio: Criterion

Sep 13, 2013 Issue #47 - September/October 2013 - MGMT By Jim Scott

Ang Lee's phenomenally underrated film gets the Criterion treatment on Blu-ray. Gorgeously shot by Frederick Elmes, The Ice Storm follows two families in New Canaan, Connecticut over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1973. Lee gets standout performances from both the adults (Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, and Joan Allen in particular) and the children (led by Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, and Elijah Wood) in this story of sexual mores in middle class America. Sex is the main topic of discussion and it's the currency, motivator, and unit of power.

The awkwardness of teenagers and adults alike are drawn with the finest of lines, as each glance and pause is loaded with subtext. The camera swoops and dives through all of the discomfort, closing in on Elena Hood (Allen) shoplifting lipstick or flying along with Sandy Carver's (Adam Hann-Byrd) model airplane as it's blown to bits by a firecracker. The Ice Storm is an honest, heartbreaking portrayal of America at a tipping point. (www.criterion.com/films/336-the-ice-storm)

Author rating: 8/10

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Average reader rating: 10/10