Frozen River – see it before it melts

Frozen River is a gripping and hard-hitting movie about the smuggling of illegal aliens into New York State from Mohawk territory in Canada. Two women – Melissa Leo and Misty Upham – are brought together out of financial need and form an unlikely team. Those who’ve seen it – I’m going on Sunday – call it a “suspenseful yet tenderhearted thriller” with “killer performances and heart-in-mouth tension”. Oh, did I mention that it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2008? Frozen River is the first feature by writer/director Courtney Hunt. I met her when she was pitching it at the IFP in 2006 with her producer (my friend) Chip Hourihan.

Frozen River opens today in Vancouver at Tinseltown and Toronto at the Varsity. Go!