He Goes Up Against ICEFALL

 

Jeri Jacquin

Currently on Digital and On Demand from director Stefan Ruzowitzky, Arclight Films and Aura Entertainment comes the thriller that happens on ICEFALL.

A gang of thieves led by Drake (Jaymes Butler), break into an underground site and steal $20 million dollars. Loading it onto a plane, the agreement is that the group meet up with their leader Rhodes (Danny Huston) to split up the money. That was the plan anyway. Living on the land in the middle of Montana is Harlan (Joel Kinnaman), a man dealing with the loss of family wanting to be away from people. Checking on his fishing hole in the middle of a big lake, he finds a suitcase full of money and discovers a plane at the bottom of the frozen water.

Ani (Cara Jade Myers) is the local Indigenous game warden and to the land who doesn’t have time to deal with people who want to break the rules. A single mother, she isn’t about to let anyone tell her how to earn a living for her family. Getting a call to help a local who is stuck on the ice, Ani comes across Harlan and discovers what he has found. It doesn’t take but a moment before a black sedan arrives making it clear they aren’t leaving without the case.

Now the madness begins, Harlan and Ani know they must escape or die. Being chased by Drake and his team, the two realize they have to stay one step ahead. They turn to tribal leader Oz (Graham Greene) who has his issues with Harlan but quickly sees that Sheriff Raleigh (Trevor Van Uden) has turned against them all. Being taken back to Rhodes isn’t something either of them are ready to do, fight back even harder and have a bit of a secret weapon that lies beneath the ice.

Kinnaman as Harlan is a man who is dealing with the sadness and repercussions of losing his family. The only way to do that is being alone in the wilderness and fending for himself. Being alone isn’t going to last when you find a mysterious case full of cash. Kinnaman takes his character from solitude into action. What the bad guys don’t know is he knows how to fend for himself and he has to do that with the help of Ani. I am always happy to see Kinnaman on the screen as my first introduction to his skills was the hit series The Killing and For All Mankind and if you haven’t seen each of these, prepare to binge on some amazing work.

Myers as Ani is the game warden who is busy trying to be a single mother in a law enforcement position that her family doesn’t like. Keeping people in line as well as helping the locals, Ani has no idea of what is about to happen. On the ice, the moment she cuffs Harlan, her world is turned upside down and becomes more violent than she could ever have imagined. Myers is a strong character bringing the Indigenous peoples into focus. She also has no problem getting her character to jump into the fray and I cheered her on!

Butler as Drake is definitely a man you do not want to mess with. He makes it clear that he only asks a question once without there being consequences. In the middle of all the madness, Butler shows you can be a complete killer but do it calmly. Van Uden as the Sheriff has a moment in the sun but you can be sure that Kinnaman’s Harlan is going to make sure he doesn’t shine for long. Houston as Rhodes has always been such a fantastic character actor but one thing he is excellent at is portraying bad guys with style.

Shout out to Greene as Oz and it is his last role passing away in September of this year. Greene has always been one of my favorite actors for many reasons but when I see his name attached to a film, then it was definitely one to see.

Other cast include Martin Sensmeier as Pen, Frida Gustavsson as Sirena, Will Fletcher as Ellis, Oliver Trevena as Dax, Trevor Van Uden as Sheriff Raleigh, Bashar Rahal as Carl, Michael Saccente as Jed, Joyce Grey-Carter as Carol, Addam Bramich as Pete, Euan Macnaughton as Lowery, Antanas Srebrev as Miclas, Kelly Gale as Mia and Robert Hall as the Medicine Man.

AURA bridges the gap between artistic integrity and commercial appeal. Formed through a strategic partnership of Signature Entertainment, Capstone Pictures, and Ascending Media Group, AURA specializes in mid to high-end independent films with commercial potential. With extensive experience in distribution, global sales, production, and financing, AURA is uniquely equipped to bring diverse, genre-defying films to audiences, maximizing value across all platforms and windows. AURA ensures filmmakers reach mainstream viewers, delivering entertaining, high-quality films that succeed commercially and creatively, leveraging over 100 years of combined industry expertise. For more please visit www.auraentertainment.com.

Arclight Films is an award-winning feature film production house and one of the world's leading international sales companies for theatrical, television and home entertainment. Arclight Films has sold over 300 motion pictures including the Best Picture Oscar winner Crash; Golden Globe Best Picture Nominee Bobby, Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto and Ethan Hawke and the company’s own production First Reformed, written and directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried. For more of what Arclight Films has to offer please visit www.arclightfilms.com.

ICEFALL is the perfect film to cuddle up to with some snacks, a large screen television and a sound bar that will capture it all loudly. Keeping the film focused to the lake and shoreline really does give the viewer the opportunity to stay with the story without distraction. Harlan’s backstory of the military explains his quickness and ingenuity, especially since he doesn’t have any weapons that go up against machine guns. Kinnaman and Myers might have come together in a strange way but their characters both have the determination to put the bad guys in their place.

Director Ruzowitzky takes an interesting concept of a vast frozen lake to bring on a thriller like ICEFALL. Each character has their own storyline with a mixture of bad guys looking for redemption, good guys realizing their blocked path is of their own making and villains are absolute villains. The best part is that is all works and works well.

In the end – they fight till the end!

 

 

There is Trauma in THE SECRETS WE KEEP

 Jeri Jacquin

This week from writer/director Yuval Adler, Ryan Covington and Bleeker Street is the story of pain and memories in THE SECRETS WE KEEP.

World War II is over and life in America for Romanian housewife Maja (Noomi Rapace) is busy one. Helping husband Lewis (Chris Messina) with his medical practice, they are a typical family raising young son Patrick (Jackson Vincent). While at the park, Maja hears something that brings about a unsettling memory.

A man whistling for his dog causes Maja to follow to see his face. Going home without answers, Maja starts to become nervous around Lewis and he notices. She becomes obsessed with discovering if the man is who she thinks he is and once its confirmed, another plan takes place.

Maja kidnaps Carl (Joel Kinnaman) and brings him to her basement. She finally comes clean with Lewis about her past, the war and who she believes is tied up in their basement. Questioning him and getting no answers, they decide to find out more about Carl and his past. Maja takes it as far as getting to know his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz).

Declaring his innocence, Carl pleads for Lewis to listen and that Maja is mistaken. He tries his best, but Maja doesn't believe him and refuses to stop trying to get to the truth, no matter how painful for them all.

Rapace as Maja is a nervous chain-smoker who tries to a hide her past as deep inside her as possible. What happened in the war traumatized her so deeply that Lewis can always tell when something is wrong, he just does not know what it is. That is what makes Rapace so perfect for this role. She continues to show her strength in the roles she chooses, and this role is deep, intense and gut wrenching.

Messina as Lewis clearly loves his wife, son and his practice. He enjoys working with his wife and the community feeling he is contributing. He is shocked when Maja shares what is in their basement and why. He finds it all so difficult as his wife shares the secrets, she has been keeping from him for so long. Messina is understanding, suspicious and a husband trying to protect his wife.

Kinnaman as Carl has his own secrets that he is keeping from an unsuspecting wife. He pleads mainly with Lewis to understand that he is not the person Maja fears and that he is willing to walk away and forget the whole thing. Kinnaman is powerful for someone tied in a basement as everything Maja wants to know is in his eyes.

Seimetz as Rachel is a woman who is trying to understand why her husband would leave. Taking care of their two children now becomes her priority and she comes to appreciate Maja's visits. They talk about their husbands and lives, but Rachel does not know Maja is just getting information.

Other cast include Madison Jones as Annabelle, Jeff Pope as Jim White, David Maldonado as Officer Brouwer, Ed Amatrudo as Dr. Sonnderquist and Ritchie Montgomery as Mitchell.

Bleeker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

THE SECRETS THEY KEEP is a story about survival and the trauma that follows years later. It's about remembering those loved and lost but never forgetting who caused the pain. Once Maja sees Carl, all the pain she has hidden from everyone in her life cannot be stuffed back down.

It is clear that Maja doesn't know exactly what she is doing or even what it is she truly wants. Revenge? Answers? She takes it one step at a time, one thought at a time and Lewis fears her as each episode passes. These three people are locked in madness created by the past and it will end - one way or another.

An excellent cast and a suspenseful story have been put together by Adler and Covington. The cast brings an intensity that leaves an ending that even I did not see coming. Fear is a terrible thing and makes people do things that would not ordinarily do and THE SECRETS THEY KEEP is an excellent example of that.

In the end - a quiet neighborhood with a secret past!