Cold Weather

This is a film that defies easy characterization. Except that it's really, really good.  It's a unique (far as I can tell) mash-up of a slow moving relationship slice of life drama around twenty something characters shot in a natural style (yes, you can read as mumblecore) and a whodunit mystery.  Yet it's not really fully either, and the sum is greater than the individual parts.  Sort of a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys adventure for the mumblecore crowd.

The main character has returned to his hometown after dropping out of a program studying crime scene investigation.  He appears directionless and while living with his sister he takes a job in a local ice factory doing manual labor. There he befriends with one of his co-workers who we get the impression different than folks he might have hung out with in the past. The new friend has perhaps less formal education but a lot of passionate interests ranging from being a DJ to a Trekkie. These three together with the main character's ex-girlfriend in town on business find themselves wrapped up in a mystery. A mystery involving a possible crime is the foreground, but most of the characters also seem to be facing a mystery of some sorts in terms of where their lives are going.

This isn't an action film - lots of dialog and slow shots. There is tension generated, but sometimes you find yourself wondering if there really is trouble afoot or if it's much ado about nothing.  Which is part of the charm - I was hooked hard pretty much from the beginning. These are the characters I'd like to see in a Sherlock Holmes reboot - even without all the fancy ass-kicking. Cold Weather was one of the top films for me at SXSW (keeping in mind I did miss several that others have on their best films of the fest list).

On top of everything else my physical environment for the screening was let's say less than perfect.  I watched this film from the 1st row of the theater given the large crowd that appeared once word got out how good the film was. I can only imagine I would have appreciated it even more from further back.  Hoping this will make it's way into theaters soon.  If it does I strongly recommend seeing it, whether or not you're generally a fan of the mumblecore genre (sorry - I know it's a lame label but folks now mostly know what I mean when I use it - so convenience trumps the whole "I don't do labels" thing).  Do try to see it in a theater as on top of everything else the cinematography deserves to be seen on a large screen - particularly one breathtaking shot at an Oregon waterfall (you can see this shot briefly in the trailer below).  Just go - really...



For another review that discusses some of the fine acting and visuals in the film checkout this writeup on The Candler Blog.