Thursday, September 12, 2013

THE ICEMAN: COLD HEARTED KILLER

Biographical movies have always provided entertainment to film going fans for years. At the same time more often than not their portrayals of those their stories are about rarely reflects the reality of the person. While this is the case with the new release THE ICEMAN perhaps it's best to write about it as a film rather than history. That being said, this is a dynamite crime drama for fans of the genre.

Michael Shannon stars as Richard "Richie" Kuklinski, a low level criminal making film copies of porno flicks back in the 60s whose life changes when he meets Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta). Married with one child, Kuklinski's lack of fear in the face of a danger makes Demeo consider him a possibility for an enforcer's position. When he has Richie kill a bum just to show him he can kill without conscience, the position becomes his.

What follows is three decades of Richie doing what he's best at which is killing people. When Demeo has someone who needs to be reminded to pay his debts, he sends Richie. If they don't follow through, Richie returns and the problem is erased. Soon people have good reason to make sure they pay on time.

While doing one hit for Demeo, Richie runs into "Mr. Freezy" (Chris Evans), another hit man so named because he also drives an ice cream truck from neighborhood to neighborhood. Not only does this make for a great cover but the freezer inside the truck is a convenient place to store a dead body.

As the story progresses problems come up and Demeo tells Richie to take a break, stop killing people and not to take any work on the side. With bills piling up Richie finds himself forced to break that promise, contacts Mr. Freezy and the duo begin piling up bodies and cash for contracts.

When Demeo discovers this he threatens Richie and things begin to unwind for the hired gun. A combination of paranoia, real threats and a violent rage fueled temper that Richie always tries to keep in check will not result in anything positive. But just what happens and who it happens to is yet to be seen.

Michael Shannon has become a force to behold in films these days. It's not just his physical presence that exudes danger here but the performance offers a depth of character movies like this usually don't possess. Liotta seems to have calmed down in recent films as he does here but one can't help but see the same intensity in Shannon that Liotta once brought to similar roles. Winona Ryder, long missing from movies, turns in a great performance as well as Deborah, Richie's wife and true love.

What is depicted here is the tale of a man who wants what's best for his family, to provide for them as much as possible and who is willing to do anything to insure that their every dream is fulfilled. The movie presents Kuklinski as a sympathetic character that we wish could find an escape from the world he has chosen to be with his family. Unfortunately that wasn't the reality of the Richard Kuklinski. The movie may make for a great story and well made film, but it does so by changing most of the true story into something else.

While an afterward mentions that Kuklinski is estimated to have killed 100 people before the ending presented here it rarely discusses his victims. I could be wrong but I also don't think most of us would decide that the best way to provide for our families would be to begin killing people which here is presented as Kuklinski's best option. More changes between his real story as told in the book THE ICEMAN: THE TRUE STORY OF A COLD BLOODED KILL by Anthony Bruno and what we're presented with here are best left to those interested in the book. If all you see is the film you will be entertained. But the real story is just as interesting.

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