FROZEN RIVER
US, 2008, 97 minutes, Colour.
Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie Mc Dermott, Michael O’ Keefe, Mark Boone Jr.
Directed by Courtney Hunt.
A small-budget independent film that is worth seeing. It received the SIGNIS award at the San Sebastian Festival in 2008. It also won awards in Sundance and actress Melissa Leo and the screenplay were Oscar-nominated.
The setting is winter in a small town on the US -Canadian border in New York state beside the frozen St Lawrence river. There is also a Mohawk reservation straddling the border. During the film, we feel we have lived in the town although we get to know only a few of its residents. The main focus is on a mother, Ray, whose husband has a gambling addiction and has gone off a week before Christmas with the money they were saving to buy a mobile house. There are two boys, 15 and 5.
As we see Ray (Melissa Leo), poor, grizzled and desperate, we wonder where the plot will take us. A chance encounter with a young Mohawk woman, Laila (Misty Upham, also very persuasive), has Ray involved in smuggling illegals from Canada into the US, across the frozen river.
This is one of those stories where the head tells us that what Ray is doing is wrong (and she herself admits that it is a criminal offence to smuggle) but the heart is compassionate because of the family's hardships, her seemingly dead-end job as a local store cashier, the 15 year old's wanting to get a job instead of going to school, the need for money.
Without giving away the plot, it is possible to say that values and honesty are honoured in the film despite initial appearances. There are many moving moments: Laila has a one year old baby which was taken from her when he husband was killed soon after the baby was born; the fearful migrants don't know what is in store for them as they cross the river; a Pakistani couple and their baby fall victim to Ray's ignorant prejudices; the 15 year old boy has to apologise for a phone and credit card scam to his victim who is an elderly lady.
A small film but a very moving one.
1.Small-budget film, its awards, critical acclaim?
2.The American- Canadian border, the small town, the St Laurence River? The shops, the caravans? The Mohawk reservation? The Canadian side, the bars?
3.The title, the St Laurence, the border, trade, the ice, the dangers of crossing, smuggling?
4.The focus on Ray, the close-up in the opening, her wrinkled face, her tear? Thinking? Her husband, his gambling addiction? The sons, preparing breakfast? Urging T.J. to go to school? To protect his younger brother? Her work, at the Yankee Dollar? The manager, his not promoting her? Discrimination, the woman who was always late? Her serving at the counter? Hopes and lack of hope? Going to the bingo hall, searching for her husband – and the woman wanting her to pay to go in and look?
5.Lila Littlewolf, her taking the car, the chase, the confrontation between two women? Her reason for taking the car? The money, the smuggling? The job, Ray and her attitude towards the law? Considering the proposition, needing the money, going, Lila taking the money? The illegal migrants? Her decision to go again, the reasons? The Chinese, in the boot of the car? Delivering them to the motel? Counting the money?
6.Her wanting to buy the house, the delivery but her being unable to pay, their taking it away? Her later going to the office and promising the money? The kids watching the television, the last payment, the man ready to take the TV away?
7.The sons, Troy and his being forbidden to use the blowtorch? The past, school, his friends? His friend and getting the video game for his brother? Popcorn and juice for breakfast? The credit card scam from the phone? His friend, giving him the information, the Christmas gift of the game? His yearning for his father? The younger brother, his age, playing, school? Reliant on his mother, his brother? Wanting the game for Christmas? Not wanting to go to sleep?
8.Ray and the children, the problems, her redoing her phone message, the message for her husband? Lila giving up the smuggling? Ray wanting one more trip? Going to the reservation, going to the Montreal side? The Pakistani couple and their bag? Risking the ice, Ray and her prejudice, putting the bag out in the snow? Discovering there was a baby in it, going back, Lila holding it, it seeming dead, the recovery? Being held up by the state trooper, the problem with her rear light?
9.The trooper, shopping in the store, meeting Lila, stopping the car, warning her, the questions about Lila? His arresting her – and reassuring her about the time she would do?
10.The final job with the Asian girls? Going over the ice, going to the reservation? The pursuit by the trooper? Refuge? The community and the penalty for Lila, expulsion? Her not being able to get her child? Ray, her concern about her own children? Going out, thinking, return? Trying to do the right thing, phoning her children?
11.Lila, the baby, the story, the death of her husband? His family taking the baby, her seeing it, the restaurant, leaving the money, their giving it back? The job, wearing the glasses? Her prejudice against the whites, her comment about the trooper’s not stopping the whites?
12.Ray and saying Lila was the babysitter, her actually asking her to look after the children while she was in jail, the money, the deposit for the house, the boys with Lila, the building of the merry-go-round – after Troy had the accident unfreezing the pipes with the blowtorch? The baby in the merry-go-round?
13.Social issues, poverty, addictions, needs, employment, education, family, the Native Americans, crime and the police?
