The Iceman Review

8th Jun 2013

Michael Shannon looks also set to dominate cinemas in the early part of this year taking over where Mathew McConaughey has left off. He put in a decent supporting role in Mud which is currently out in cinemas. But before he takes on Superman in the latest incarnation of General Zod, we get this indie drama/thriller The Iceman where he portrays a real life contract killer, Richard Kuklinski.

The timeline of the film is an odd one as it doesn’t seem to linger for long in earlier scenes. As we meet him early on in life on a date with future wife Deborah (Winona Ryder). Time then zips along to a very impulsive kill that he makes as a result of some bad mouthing of his soon to be future wife. Before we know it he’s married and has a first child (which is indeed the next time we see Ryder in her second scene of the film) and Kuklinski is soon being set up as a hired killer for local boss Roy DeMeo (an impressive Ray Liotta).

The Iceman is very interested in getting right to the intent of the character and keeping focus on Shannon, as opposed to letting us watch him dwell and adapt to the world that grows around him as much as the one he nurtures and controls.

Hair styles and fashions are what are mainly used to age characters with little make up work done to help hide the actors actual age. There is also a wide array of impressive supporting roles and cameos.. Liotta already mentioned and Chris Evans puts in more sterling work as a rival/buddy contract killer. But also look out appearances from James Franco, David Schwimmer, Robert Davi (where the hell has he been!) and even an almost unrecognisable turn from Stephen Dorff as Kuklinski brother.

Shannon is a powerhouse performer and has been for over a decade now in a variety of roles in modern cinema. This one may not be the role that wins him the awards that await him, but he’s probably not too far away from it either.