The downside to this movie Reaction pattern I’ve established for myself is that sometimes there are movies I know will play differently for me over time. I watch a movie and know that I’m not settled on it. I didn’t get The Ice Storm. And I came in prepared for it. I’ve listened to Blank Check and This Had Oscar Buzz podcasts about it. I was prepared for the cast, tone, and story. I knew what to expect, and I was very ready to like it. I’m not there yet though. These scattered ensemble dramas can take a while to click. I needed years for Boogie Nights to work. I’m still not there with Magnolia or Nashville. The Ice Storm is less ambitious than those. I’m still not finished chewing on it.
It’s funny to me that this film came out in 1996 with reviewers praising how it examines the malaise of 70s suburban life. Then, a couple years later, American Beauty does the same thing about the malaise of 90s suburban life. It’s almost like writers and filmmakers have always found the suburbs boring on the surface and fascinating underneath. Perhaps that’s my initial hesitation with The Ice Storm. I do get tired of people making the same generational observations as though they are new*. However, The Ice Storm does feel like a puzzle to be solved. What’s the significance of Elijah Wood getting electrocuted or that causing Tobey Maguire to get temporarily trapped on the train? Why does Kevin Kline find Wood or how is it important to have the stuff going on with Christina Ricci? Sometimes with these movies, I just don’t care. I couldn’t care less about the ill-fitting parts of Short Cuts of Grand Canyon. Those are just bloated failures in my mind. The Ice Storm intrigues me though. I definitely liked it. The cast is huge and deep with talent. I responded to whatever the movie was doing, even if I haven’t figured out why yet.
*I mean, is Elijah Wood’s fascination with particles in the air all that different from Wes Bentley filming a grocery bag?
Verdict: Weakly Recommend
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