Frozen River
Set in the apparent frozen wastes of the border between New York State and Quebec on a Mohawk reservation, this grizzly study displays the drudgery and often treacherous lives of two single mothers and the lengths they are prepared to go to in order to survive.
Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo) works part-time at the store and lives in a run-down trailer with her two sons. Always short of cash, not least for buying her new house, life is a daily grind of struggle, disappointment and naked defiance against a world that seems determined to give her the hardest possible time.
When she accidentally comes across Lila (Misty Upham) during a pursuit to get back her stolen car, the two of them strike up an ill-conceived bargain. What follows would appear at first to be the answer to all of Ray’s problems. Easy money, little risk and no downsides if you can ignore the obvious moral implications of her new enterprise.
After each subsequent profitable escapade, Ray’s confidence grows. Already an independent woman with her own very real responsibilities, she is more than aware of the risks she is taking, yet refuses to be subdued by them, with what seems to the viewer like inevitable consequences.
Shot on location and for a paltry million dollar budget, we are afforded a view of life that too few of us are ever aware of, much less affected by. The outlook both theoretically and practically is bleak almost entirely throughout the telling of this tale and the nod to the precarious nature of their tasks and the bleak frost covered river of the title only heighten the mood of disquiet and confused, yet pre-conceived tension on the part of the characters.
Having received, of all things, an Oscar nomination for her role of Ray, Melissa Leo has displayed a well rounded and above all believable performance. You can easily understand her primary function of carer to her children, after her husband becomes estranged with her money on a bus to Atlantic City, to no doubt pursue his own get rich quicker plan. The rot that Ray has had to live with for some time has clearly taken its toll and Leo has this weather-beaten cornered lioness down to a tee, even going so far as to hint at a ‘Falling Down’ moment outside a strip bar in the middle of nowhere, stating that she is tired of being robbed.
To this end, we see a flawed but determined character that has really just about got to the end of her tether and is not going to take it anymore. This is a great part for Leo to get her teeth into and it is with great satisfaction for the viewer that she pulls it off as well as she does.
Upham also provides good value, but is overshadowed for the most part by Leo. In the role of Lila, she too has her own child to rear, albeit remotely. Occasionally flitting between likeable and admirable to foolish and dangerous, via naive and scared, Lila is not quite rounded enough to be a persistent character and while Upham does well with her, this is the more difficult of the two characters to portray.
Altogether, a little independent gem of a film with the full ninety minutes just flying by with no real issues to speak of. Occasionally stumbling with its pace and some loose ends still untidy by the time the credits started to roll, these are easily overlooked by the treat of performances from the main players.
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