Michael Shannon plays real-life hitman Richard Kuklinski in this terse, menacing and somewhat fragmented crime thriller. There’s no question Shannon can fill the screen with brooding menace and most of the film’s best scenes involve Shannon in highly charged exchanges with Ray Liotta, whose Roy DeMeo is both Kuklinski’s main employer and chief threat. They both give a masterclass in the kind of minimalist acting we come to expect in this genre, where the almost imperceptible twitch of an eye, or curl of a lip communicates everything in a stand-off.
Where Iceman is less successful is the more mundane moments of life. The truly remarkable thing about Kuklinski’s story is at same time he was a ruthless and often employed hitman, he was also a devoted family man, father and husband. Winona Ryder does a fine job with the role of Deborah, Kuklinski’s devoted and deluded wife, but remarkably, it’s Shannon who seems to stumble during the moments of marital bliss. He is brilliant in the moments when he rehearses a compliment he will later give to Deborah on their first date and then, in a parallel moment, writing a clumsy poem for his eldest daughter’s 16th birthday. But, too often his demeanour at home lacks the softness or approachability one would expect, given the love his family has for him.
But, Iceman has deeper problems, which really stem from poorly the storyline is fleshed out. DeMeo gets caught up some nasty mafia politics, thanks to some unwise moves by Josh Rosenthal, an obese, pony-tailed and guileless henchman played David Schwimmer. DeMeo has an attachment to Rosenthal that is never really explained. In a similar vein, we get introduced to but never get to know Kuklinski’s hit man-peer, Robert Pronge (Chris Evans).
Iceman is a big departure from director Ariel Vromen’s previous feature films, Danika and Rx. The decision to focus on the irreconcilable dualism between Kurklinski’s sedate home life and bloodthirsty work life is intriguing. In a way, this makes Iceman more intriguing than a conventional mob genre film or crime thriller. That Iceman lacks the psychological depth, or perhaps does not give itself enough time to allow that depth to develop should not hold viewers back from enjoying a film whose best moments are actually very good indeed.
