The Iceman (2012)(2025 Redo)

 

**This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Unbeknownst to his wife, Deborah (Winona Ryder), and his daughters, Anabel (McKaley Miller) and Betsy (Megan Sherrill), Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) lives a secret double life as a hitman, working exclusively for Roy DeMeo (Ray Liotta). Richard’s relationship with Roy hits a snag, so Richard forms a duo with Robert Pronge (Chris Evans) to fulfill more murder contracts. 

After a botched hit, Richard draws the ire of Leo Merks (Robert Davi), and Richard runs into more problems after threats from an irate Roy Demeo. The arrival of Dominick Provenzano (Eduardo Yanez) further complicates a messy situation, as Richard struggles to keep his family life separate from the seedy underworld of a contract killer and the mafia. 

My Thoughts- Michael Shannon is undoubtedly one of the masters for showing believable rage, and his talents are on full display here, including the tirades, the tantrums, and his facial expressions. Shannon does a phenomenal job of convincing you that Richard Kuklinski is a seemingly normal guy, with a hushed voice on the surface, but he’s also a ticking time bomb, who’s capable of exploding in the blink of an eye. You really get to see how dangerous Richard’s temper is in certain scenes, when his anger slowly reaches a boiling point, because you know something bad is about to happen. 

But there’s another side of Richard. At home, and around his family, Richard is the dedicated husband and a loving father. Michael Shannon nails the family guy side of Richard. Kuklinski was a violent mess of a man, but there’s no denying the fact that he truly loved his family. Shannon also shows a calmer and more normal version of Richard. The first coffee date with Deborah and his speech at Anabel’s birthday party? You won’t see a raging lunatic or The Iceman. No, Richard is socially awkward, and he’s noticeably nervous during both scenes.

Winona Ryder truly delivers a good performance as Deborah. Ryder plays the sweet and innocent wife, but she’s also not afraid to stand up to Richard, to push back, and Deborah calls Richard out on his BS. Shannon and Ryder share believable chemistry together, as a married couple going through their ups and downs. 

The relationship between Deborah and Richard is a strange one. Deborah is the pure and good-hearted woman, who’s married to Richard, the fire-breathing dragon. Richard and Deborah’s marriage adds another emotional layer to the movie, more drama for the good woman, who married a monster with horrible secrets. 

Ray Liotta? He was always a perfect fit for mob or mob related movies. Liotta excelled at playing a jerk, and he delivers as Roy DeMeo, a mean and merciless bastard. John Ventimiglia has a handful of moments as one of DeMeo’s goons. And a thumbs up for David Schwimmer playing the clueless dope, who makes one too many stupid mistakes, as the guy, who just can’t get out of his own way. 

Chris Evans’ Robert Pronge teaming up with Kuklinski adds some dark humor to the movie. Evans’ notable performance as the hitman, who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver is one of the highlights here. Chris Evans knocks it out of the park, because you can easily see Pronge is completely insane. Unlike Richard, Pronge doesn’t have a moral code, none whatsoever. If he has to kill women and children, he will, no questions asked. 

Pronge casually and gleefully talks about freezing dead bodies, how he easily chops up corpses, and Pronge openly brags about the conveniences of murdering people with cyanide. The dynamic between Pronge and Kuklinski adds another sinister layer to the movie, because you’re looking at two extremely dangerous men working together. You could say Pronge is more of a cerebral and crafty assassin, while Richard was a far more direct and brutal killer. As the story progresses, the partnership between the two gets more tense after two botched hits. 

It’s a setup! Dominick Provenzano reveals himself as an undercover agent, and Richard is hauled off to jail for the rest of his life. A surprising ending to Richard’s story? Well, no, it’s not, not at all. Look, even if you don’t know anything about Richard Kuklinski, or his story, hitmen and serial killers don’t have happy endings. SOMETHING bad always happens, when they’re ready to or close to getting out of the life. It’s a tale as old as time itself.

But the big sting operation to end the movie brings the drama. Richard locking eyes with Deborah, as the police car drives off is one moment that sticks out for me. Notice the reactions. Deborah is heartbroken, confused, and she’s completely hysterical. Richard? Stone faced. After he calms down, no tears, he’s not banging on the window, and he doesn’t have any reassuring words for his wife. Why? Well, it’s easy to assume Richard finally accepted his fate. No more hiding, or lies for Deborah, because the truth about who he was, and his second life was going to be exposed soon. 

Fact or fiction? It’s the big question to ask about Richard Kuklinski’s life as a mafia hitman. Did he work for Roy DeMeo? Is Kuklinski’s actual total kill count greatly exaggerated? Did he work for other mafia families? I just finished reading The Ice Man: Confessions Of A Mafia Contract Killer, by Philip Carlo, so I wanted to rewatch The Iceman.

It’s easy to come to the conclusion that Kuklinski was full of shit, or at least mostly full of it. One thing in Carlo’s book that caught my eyes was Kuklinski supposedly being DeMeo’s “secret weapon.” Okay, IF Kuklinski was DeMeo’s big secret, then how is it possible Richard was filling murder contracts with other mafia families, traveling across the US to execute his targets, and his services were requested in Europe and South America? How did other people know about his efficiency, if he shared a tight-lipped relationship with DeMeo? You’re telling me word-of-mouth praises about Kuklinski’s work reached other parts of the world? It doesn’t make any sense. Roy DeMeo and his crew were a pack of vicious and sadistic killers, so why would they need “The Big Guy” to kill people for them? 

And some of the stories about the people Kuklinski allegedly killed are a bit too theatrical and over the top. One good example here is the scene, with James Franco playing a creepy pervert. Marty (Franco) starts begging for God’s help, and Kuklinski tells him he’ll spare his life, if God comes down and intervenes. Well, you could probably guess what happens next, but it’s one of Kuklinski’s more infamous stories about his days as a hitman. 

The hits for high profiled mafia bosses? Kuklinski was supposedly requested to join the hit squads to take out big time mafia bosses. But going by his own words, there was no reason at all for Kuklinski to participate. Why? Because he was a stealthy killer, and they wouldn’t see him coming? Bottom line, his presence wasn’t necessary, and they already had more than enough guns on the scene.

All of the random murders, where Kuklinski killed people to hone his craft, or if someone simply did something to piss him off? Yeah, I have a hard time believing those stories. There’s a story in the book about Kuklinski shooting a hitchhiker, because the guy flipped him off. Kuklinski felt disrespected, so he shot the hitchhiker to death, where anyone could see him.

The funny thing about Philip Carlo’s book is, once you know and start to realize it’s mostly fabricated bullshit, Confessions Of A Mafia Contract Killer reads like a crime fiction novel, or a mafia thriller. I can understand being lucky, but no one is that lucky. The book has numerous stories from Richard about how he killed people, sometimes luring them to their deaths with a flat tire, but over the years, someone would’ve inevitably caught him in the act. 

There’s also a lot to unpack with Richard’s family life. The Iceman definitely leans in the direction of trying to show a more sympathetic tone for Kuklinski. He had a terrible childhood. His father was an abusive asshole, and maybe you could make the argument that Richard never had a chance. 

Well, there’s a lot of truths about Richard’s upbringing. Stanley, his father, was a monster. Kuklinski himself said he should’ve killed him, and he regretted missing the chance to do it. And Richard’s mother, in his own words, was “cancer,” because she was also someone, who could be physically abusive. 

The Iceman tries to paint Richard and Deborah’s marriage as this mushy fairy tale-esque romance, complete with the turmoil and trials and tribulations of any other married couple, but the real story doesn’t fall under the happily ever after tab. 

Richard was violent towards his real wife, Barbara. It didn’t matter if they were in front of their children, or alone in the house, or the same room together, Richard wouldn’t hesitate to fly off the handle and beat Barbara. Also, Kuklinski was a very possessive man. Richard stabbed Barbara with a knife and he threatened to kill her family in the early stages of their relationship, because Barbara was feeling smothered by Richard. His idea of pursuing Barbara revolved around becoming an obsessive stalker, and she couldn’t take it anymore. 

Kuklinski did have two daughters named Merrick and Chris. After everything he did, Merrick still deeply loved her father. But there was a time, where Chris and Barbara plotted to kill Richard together. Chris and Barbara ultimately decided against it, because it was too risky, if they didn’t finish the job. Richard also had a son named Dwayne with Barbara. Only two daughters in The Iceman. No son, no references, or any hints for a third child. It’s no real surprise, but Dwayne was not fond of Richard growing up.

If you’ve ever seen any of the HBO interviews/documentaries, Kuklinski actually comes off as someone that’s possibly credible. Kuklinski calmly sits down, going over the gruesome details of his murders, cracking a sinister grin as he goes every now and then. He was a big guy, and Kuklinski had a cold demeanor. He looked the part, and he played it well. To add to that, Kuklinski was a captivating storyteller. More than capable of having anyone, who listened to him hanging on his every word, Kuklinski’s gory tales checked off all the boxes for true crime lore. 

Of course, there’s always a chance Kuklinski dabbled in mob related activities. Maybe he also filled a handful of murder contracts? Who knows for sure, but everything starts to go off the rails, when Kuklinski’s status as a hitman reaches the levels of an underground legend, with cat-like reflexes, who eluded certain death and law enforcement agencies for years. Tearing off the layers of fiction, Kuklinski was certainly a predator, a serial killer, a crook, and a guy, who also made money from bootlegging porn. And Richard apparently blew a lot of his money, because he was a careless gambling addict. 

But one thing’s for sure, Kuklinski’s story is a perfect fit for a Hollywood movie. What can or what can’t be corroborated, the lies, and all the smoke and mirrors. Sure, you can easily label Richard Kuklinski as a pathological liar. Still, the family man living in the suburbs of New Jersey, while he quietly operates in the shadows as a mafia hitman, is a story that’s capable of raising eyebrows. 

The Iceman plays out like a predictable true crime drama. It moves from point A to point B and so on. And as soon as Richard realizes the big problem with his cyanide from Dominick, you know what’s about to happen. But the cast is simply excellent from top to bottom, including Robert Davi and Stephen Dorff. During Dorff’s first and only appearance in the movie, you’ll immediately know Joesph Kuklinski is a massive slimeball. Joesph Kuklinski never deserved an ounce of sympathy, and rotting in prison was a justified punishment for him.

Lots of violence and a decent amount of blood for the story about an ice-cold killer. Good acting saves The Iceman from being a complete dud. There’s a lot of potential for a truly great film here, but they weirdly settled for going through the motions from start to finish, the kind of movie, where you’ll know what happens before it actually happens.

Rating- 7/10

The Iceman (2012)(2025 Redo)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Unbeknownst to his wife, Deborah (Winona Ryder), and his daughters, Anabel (McKaley Miller) and Betsy (Megan Sherrill), Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) lives a secret double life as a hitman, working exclusively for Roy DeMeo (Ray Liotta). Richard’s relationship with Roy hits a snag, so Richard forms a duo with Robert Pronge (Chris Evans) to fulfill more murder contracts. 

After a botched hit, Richard draws the ire of Leo Merks (Robert Davi), and Richard runs into more problems after threats from an irate Roy Demeo. The arrival of Dominick Provenzano (Eduardo Yanez) further complicates a messy situation, as Richard struggles to keep his family life separate from the seedy underworld of a contract killer and the mafia. 

My Thoughts- Michael Shannon is undoubtedly one of the masters for showing believable rage, and his talents are on full display here, including the tirades, the tantrums, and his facial expressions. Shannon does a phenomenal job of convincing you that Richard Kuklinski is a seemingly normal guy, with a hushed voice on the surface, but he’s also a ticking time bomb, who’s capable of exploding in the blink of an eye. You really get to see how dangerous Richard’s temper is in certain scenes, when his anger slowly reaches a boiling point, because you know something bad is about to happen. 

But there’s another side of Richard. At home, and around his family, Richard is the dedicated husband and a loving father. Michael Shannon nails the family guy side of Richard. Kuklinski was a violent mess of a man, but there’s no denying the fact that he truly loved his family. Shannon also shows a calmer and more normal version of Richard. The first coffee date with Deborah and his speech at Anabel’s birthday party? You won’t see a raging lunatic or The Iceman. No, Richard is socially awkward, and he’s noticeably nervous during both scenes.

Winona Ryder truly delivers a good performance as Deborah. Ryder plays the sweet and innocent wife, but she’s also not afraid to stand up to Richard, to push back, and Deborah calls Richard out on his BS. Shannon and Ryder share believable chemistry together, as a married couple going through their ups and downs. 

The relationship between Deborah and Richard is a strange one. Deborah is the pure and good-hearted woman, who’s married to Richard, the fire-breathing dragon. Richard and Deborah’s marriage adds another emotional layer to the movie, more drama for the good woman, who married a monster with horrible secrets. 

Ray Liotta? He was always a perfect fit for mob or mob related movies. Liotta excelled at playing a jerk, and he delivers as Roy DeMeo, a mean and merciless bastard. John Ventimiglia has a handful of moments as one of DeMeo’s goons. And a thumbs up for David Schwimmer playing the clueless dope, who makes one too many stupid mistakes, as the guy, who just can’t get out of his own way. 

Chris Evans’ Robert Pronge teaming up with Kuklinski adds some dark humor to the movie. Evans’ notable performance as the hitman, who moonlights as an ice cream truck driver is one of the highlights here. Chris Evans knocks it out of the park, because you can easily see Pronge is completely insane. Unlike Richard, Pronge doesn’t have a moral code, none whatsoever. If he has to kill women and children, he will, no questions asked.

Pronge casually and gleefully talks about freezing dead bodies, how he easily chops up corpses, and Pronge openly brags about the conveniences of murdering people with cyanide. The dynamic between Pronge and Kuklinski adds another sinister layer to the movie, because you’re looking at two extremely dangerous men working together. You could say Pronge is more of a cerebral and crafty assassin, while Richard was a far more direct and brutal killer. As the story progresses, the partnership between the two gets more tense after two botched hits. 

Fact or fiction? It’s the big question to ask about Richard Kuklinski’s life as a mafia hitman. Did he work for Roy DeMeo? Is Kuklinski’s actual total kill count greatly exaggerated? Did he work for other mafia families? I just finished reading The Ice Man: Confessions Of A Mafia Contract Killer, by Philip Carlo, so I wanted to rewatch The Iceman.

It’s easy to come to the conclusion that Kuklinski was full of shit, or at least mostly full of it. One thing in Carlo’s book that caught my eyes was Kuklinski supposedly being DeMeo’s “secret weapon.” Okay, IF Kuklinski was DeMeo’s big secret, then how is it possible Richard was filling murder contracts with other mafia families, traveling across the US to execute his targets, and his services were requested in Europe and South America? How did other people know about his efficiency, if he shared a tight-lipped relationship with DeMeo? You’re telling me word-of-mouth praises about Kuklinski’s work reached other parts of the world? It doesn’t make any sense. Roy DeMeo and his crew were a pack of vicious and sadistic killers, so why would they need “The Big Guy” to kill people for them?

And some of the stories about the people Kuklinski allegedly killed are a bit too theatrical and over the top. One good example here is the scene, with James Franco playing a creepy pervert. Marty (Franco) starts begging for God’s help, and Kuklinski tells him he’ll spare his life, if God comes down and intervenes. Well, you could probably guess what happens next, but it’s one of Kuklinski’s more infamous stories about his days as a hitman. 

The hits for high profiled mafia bosses? Kuklinski was supposedly requested to join the hit squads to take out big time mafia bosses. But going by his own words, there was no reason at all for Kuklinski to participate. Why? Because he was a stealthy killer, and they wouldn’t see him coming? Bottom line, his presence wasn’t necessary, and they already had more than enough guns on the scene.

All of the random murders, where Kuklinski killed people to hone his craft, or if someone simply did something to piss him off? Yeah, I have a hard time believing those stories. There’s a story in the book about Kuklinski shooting a hitchhiker, because the guy flipped him off. Kuklinski felt disrespected, so he shot the hitchhiker to death, where anyone could see him.

The funny thing about Philip Carlo’s book is, once you know and start to realize it’s mostly fabricated bullshit, Confessions Of A Mafia Contract Killer reads like a crime fiction novel, or a mafia thriller. I can understand being lucky, but no one is that lucky. The book has numerous stories from Richard about how he killed people, sometimes luring them to their deaths with a flat tire, but over the years, someone would’ve inevitably caught him in the act. 

There’s also a lot to unpack with Richard’s family life. The Iceman definitely leans in the direction of trying to show a more sympathetic tone for Kuklinski. He had a terrible childhood. His father was an abusive asshole, and maybe you could make the argument that Richard never had a chance. 

Well, there’s a lot of truths about Richard’s upbringing. Stanley, his father, was a monster. Kuklinski himself said he should’ve killed him, and he regretted missing the chance to do it. And Richard’s mother, in his own words, was “cancer,” because she was also someone, who could be physically abusive. 

The Iceman tries to paint Richard and Deborah’s marriage as this mushy fairy tale-esque romance, complete with the turmoil and trials and tribulations of any other married couple, but the real story doesn’t fall under the happily ever after tab. 

Richard was violent towards his real wife, Barbara. It didn’t matter if they were in front of their children, or alone in the house, or the same room together, Richard wouldn’t hesitate to fly off the handle and beat Barbara. Also, Kuklinski was a very possessive man. Richard stabbed Barbara with a knife and he threatened to kill her family in the early stages of their relationship, because Barbara was feeling smothered by Richard. His idea of pursuing Barbara revolved around becoming an obsessive stalker, and she couldn’t take it anymore. 

Kuklinski did have two daughters named Merrick and Chris. After everything he did, Merrick still deeply loved her father. But there was a time, where Chris and Barbara plotted to kill Richard together. Chris and Barbara ultimately decided against it, because it was too risky, if they didn’t finish the job. Richard also had a son named Dwayne with Barbara. Only two daughters in The Iceman. No son, no references, or any hints for a third child. It’s no real surprise, but Dwayne was not fond of Richard growing up.

If you’ve ever seen any of the HBO interviews/documentaries, Kuklinski actually comes off as someone that’s possibly credible. Kuklinski calmly sits down, going over the gruesome details of his murders, cracking a sinister grin as he goes every now and then. He was a big guy, and Kuklinski had a cold demeanor. He looked the part, and he played it well. To add to that, Kuklinski was a captivating storyteller. More than capable of having anyone, who listened to him hanging on his every word, Kuklinski’s gory tales checked off all the boxes for true crime lore. 

Of course, there’s always a chance Kuklinski dabbled in mob related activities. Maybe he also filled a handful of murder contracts? Who knows for sure, but everything starts to go off the rails, when Kuklinski’s status as a hitman reaches the levels of an underground legend, with cat-like reflexes, who eluded certain death and law enforcement agencies for years. Tearing off the layers of fiction, Kuklinski was certainly a predator, a serial killer, a crook, and a guy, who also made money from bootlegging porn. And Richard apparently blew a lot of his money, because he was a careless gambling addict. 

But one thing’s for sure, Kuklinski’s story is a perfect fit for a Hollywood movie. What can or what can’t be corroborated, the lies, and all the smoke and mirrors. Sure, you can easily label Richard Kuklinski as a pathological liar. Still, the family man living in the suburbs of New Jersey, while he quietly operates in the shadows as a mafia hitman, is a story that’s capable of raising eyebrows. 

The Iceman plays out like a predictable true crime drama. It moves from point A to point B and so on. And as soon as Richard realizes the big problem with his cyanide from Dominick, you know what’s about to happen. But the cast is simply excellent from top to bottom, including Robert Davi and Stephen Dorff. During Dorff’s first and only appearance in the movie, you’ll immediately know Joesph Kuklinski is a massive slimeball. Joesph Kuklinski never deserved an ounce of sympathy, and rotting in prison was a justified punishment for him.

Lots of violence and a decent amount of blood for the story about an ice-cold killer. Good acting saves The Iceman from being a complete dud. There’s a lot of potential for a truly great film here, but they weirdly settled for going through the motions from start to finish, the kind of movie, where you’ll know what happens before it actually happens.

Rating- 7/10

The Informers (2008)

**This review contains spoilers**

So the story is broken into a series of separate storylines. Characters from different storylines have some interaction with each other every now and then, so I’ll do another “separate synopses and my thoughts after each one” breakdown. The Informers is set in various cities throughout Los Angeles in 1983.

Bruce’s Death

One night at a party, Bruce (Fernando Consagra) strolls out into the street, and is killed by a speeding driver. His “friends” attended the funeral, and afterwards, Graham (Jon Foster), a drug dealer, Martin (Austin Nichols), an egotistical bisexual rock video producer and a prostitute, Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci), and Raymond (Aaron Himelstein) are sitting outside on the patio of the hotel, where the funeral is being held. But instead of reminiscing about good times with Bruce, Martin decides to bask in the glory of Bruce’s death by mocking his memory with unflattering stories, including the true stories of Bruce sleeping with Graham’s promiscuous girlfriend, Christie (Amber Heard). Raymond is disgusted by the lack of respect for Bruce’s memory, breaks down in tears, and Graham follows him to the bathroom for comfort.

My Thoughts: The problem with the opening moments for The Informers is, NOTHING catches your attention to the point, where you’ll be interested enough to stick around for the rest of the movie. Plus, they introduce the audience to the long list of very unlikeable characters from the start. Tim is whining about a vacation to Hawaii. Graham KNOWS his girlfriend is cheating on him, but he tries to play it off like it’s not a big deal. Raymond is blubbering like a baby for a guy, who clearly hated his guts (during the party Bruce shoved him in the chest, because Raymond was following him around too much), and Martin is just a tool. And why did they put so much emphasis on Bruce’s death? After he’s smacked by the car, and after the funeral, his character is never mentioned again.

Graham knows Christie is sleeping with other guys, doesn’t like it, but he still won’t do anything about it

Christie enjoys Martin as one of her more consistent and likeable sex partners outside of Graham, and Christie is pretty open about her promiscuity. But Graham’s feelings for Christie cause some friction in the consensual and friendly love triangle.

My Thoughts: The mind-numbing stupidity in this storyline is just too much. There’s a scene, where Graham is watching this orgy involving Christie…..and he just stands there with this horrified look on his face? Eh, if Christie’s “open relationship” lifestyle is bothering you THAT much, why don’t you just leave her? I don’t get it. Graham cleans up his act, and you quickly realize Christie is in the wrong here, but it’s hard to feel any sympathy for Graham, because he’s such an inept crybaby. Oh, and on top of that, Martin calls Graham out for sleeping around with other women during the beginning, so again, why should I feel bad for Graham? In a lot of ways, he is/was just as bad as Christie.

Uncle Pete comes to visit, and he brings Mary with him

Peter (Mickey Rourke) is looking for a place to lay low, until the heat from some bad people dies down. Without giving him a choice in the matter, Peter hides out at his nephew Jack’s (Brad Renfro) house in Los Angeles. Jack is worried about Peter’s presence possibly jeopardizing his job as a doorman at Christie’s apartment complex, and Peter doesn’t help matters, because he brings a kidnapped teenager named Mary (Angela Sarafayan) with him. To make the situation worse, Peter abducts another young kid one day, so he can make more money in a kidnap and trade for cash business. But Jack makes a fatal mistake that will change his life forever, when he refuses to hand over the kid to the people, who paid Peter.

My Thoughts: Well, this is probably the best storyline in The Informers. Unlike all the other storylines, Pete and Jack’s stroryline actually has some intrigue to it. You wonder what might happen, if Peter, Jack, and Mary stick around for the bad guys to come back. You wonder if Jack will finally find the courage to stand up to Peter, and finally tell him “no.“ Enough is enough. And you kind of feel sorry for Jack, because Peter comes out of nowhere, and ruins his life. Plus, Mickey Rourke delivers one of the best performances in this film.

Bryan Metro

Bryan Metro (Mel Raido) is a hot and wildly popular rock musician, who’s currently on tour. But along the way, Bryan succumbs to his addictions to drugs, alcoholism, and a shameful habit of sleeping with underage groupies. Bryan’s trusted bandmate, friend, and manager, Roger (Rhys Ifans) tries to secure a deal for a movie, that would put Bryan in the starring role, but Bryan’s problems and a broken relationship with Nina Metro (Simone Kessell), his ex-wife and the mother of his only child, could derail any chances of a positive future.

My Thoughts: Bryan Metro is easily the most despicable character in this movie. He’s a grown man, who sleeps with young male and female teenagers, he beats women, and he’s a terrible father. Need an example of how creepy Bryan Metro is? During the meeting for the B-movie with a rep from the studio, Bryan is attracted to this teenage girl, who’s watching TV in the bedroom of his hotel room. Metro loses interest in the meeting, and he becomes infatuated with the girl, when she smiles at him, showing Metro her braces.  Yeah, kind of hard to feel sympathy for Metro, when he’s on the phone yelling at Nina for a chance to speak with his kid, because he’s such a scumbag.

Tim Price and Les Price

Living with his mother, Tim’s parents are divorced, and against his will, Tim is forced to go on a vacation to Hawaii with his father Les (Chris Isaak). Tim still has bitter feelings towards his father, and the already strained relationship becomes worse in Hawaii.

My Thoughts: Yes, Les is an obnoxious man child, who hits on women half his age, but Tim is still annoying, as the whiny and immature spoiled brat. “This sucks! I’m going to Hawaii for a vacation, and my dad is paying for everything! What a jerk!” Seriously? So yeah, The Informers major problem of having one too many unlikeable characters rears its ugly head again here, because I didn’t want to support either Tim or Les.

William and Laura’s broken marriage

Depressed, and addicted to prescription  pills, Laura Sloan (Kim Basinger) agrees to a proposal from her estranged husband and wealthy movie producer, William Sloan (Billy Bob Thornton) for William to move back into their mansion, so they can live together. William wants a second chance after having an affair with Cheryl Moore (Winona Ryder), a popular local news anchorwoman, but Laura must end her sexual relationship with Martin. Meanwhile, William has doubts after some old feelings for Cheryl resurface, and the situation becomes more tense, when William pursues Cheryl at a restaurant during a celebratory dinner with the Sloan’s children, Graham and Susan (Cameron Goodman). 

My Thoughts: ……okay. So Laura is sleeping with Martin (her son‘s best friend), and on top of that, it’s heavily implied Martin and Laura had a regular and ongoing sexual relationship during William’s affair with Cheryl. So why should I feel sympathy for Laura, as this broken and depressed woman? William is a selfish douchebag, but Laura is no saint either. And Susan could’ve  provided some much needed positive light in the murky darkness of characters for The Informers, but Goodman doesn’t receive a significant amount of screen time here.

Summary

The veterans take the cake here, because Rourke and Basinger deliver the best performances. Amber Heard is just eye candy, because during most of her appearances in this film, she’s either topless, completely naked, or having sex. Billy Bob Thornton is seemingly bored, with an unengaging and lifeless performance. And Winona Ryder is just going through the motions during her limited screen time. Brad Renfro’s Jack is probably the only guy in this entire film, who you can feel some sympathy for, but Renfro’s performance isn’t convincing,  at all (I cringed, when Jack tried to put on a tough guy face in front of his uncle Pete, and said “I’m gonna cut his fucking throat”). On a side note, I had no idea Renfro died of a heroin overdose a handful of years ago. Always thought he had some potential (he was pretty solid in Bully), and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out a reason for not seeing him in any movies recently. But after researching, I learned about his problems with drugs and alcohol.  Performance wise, the rest of the cast is not worth mentioning at all.

The Informers doesn’t give the audience any likeable characters to support or root for. Too many whining and spoiled rich kids, pedophiles, stupid people, self-absorbed junkies, and egomaniacs. And the writers ruin any semi-likeable characters. Yes, Bryan Metro is a piece of trash, but Nina is one of Martin’s clients, and she allows her young son to play with and bond with Martin?

The final scene of the movie shows Christie laying on the beach, and she’s CLEARLY dying (presumably from AIDS), because a fly lands on her cold and pale body, and she doesn’t even feel it. This scene was suppose to generate some sympathy for Christie, as Graham gives her one final kiss good-bye. But yeah, it’s kind of hard to feel sympathy for someone, who CONSTANTLY and carelessly has unprotected sex throughout the movie, and refuses to go to the doctor for help at the end.

William and Laura’s finale for their storyline was SO incredibly stupid. So Laura calls William out for trying to make another move on Cheryl. William eventually admits it during an argument, but Laura agrees to go with William to a banquet, and after that, William has to move out (again), and get out of Laura’s life forever. And get this, the main reason  for William wanting to go to the banquet is so he can see Cheryl in person again. And Laura agrees, because she wants to have a final face to face confrontation with Cheryl. But here’s the swerve! William and Laura arrive at the banquet, but Laura never gets out of the limo. She catches Cheryl with one glimpse from inside the limo, closes the door, and leaves William at the banquet by himself, as the limo drives away. Okay. Hold on a minute. Laura could’ve avoided this whole mess by simply choosing to stay at home. And William had plenty of chances to see Cheryl face to face without Laura. So why on Earth did they have to go together? I don’t get it.

Any social commentary for the consequences of unprotected sex, AIDS, and the outbreak of STDs in the gay community is overshadowed by an overload of dreary and overly dramatic storylines. And the best performances from Rourke and Basinger are undermined by two unlikable (especially Rourke’s Peter, because it’s implied he has a sexual relationship with Mary) characters. The Informers is a depressing, ugly, and miserable ensemble film with too many scumbag characters, and the stroylines culminate into a series of unfulfilling and underwhelming finales. An awful , awful film, and to think they almost added a supernatural element to this one. Brandon Routh was suppose to play a vampire in another sub-plot (the vampire was in the book, and The Informers is based on the same book with the same title), but those plans were scrapped. I don’t think it’s possible, but there’s a good chance the vampire sub-plot would’ve dug a deeper grave for The Informers.

Rating: 0/10

The Iceman (2013)

**This review contains spoilers**

When mafia boss Roy DeMeo (Ray Liotta) shuts down his porn dubbing business, Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) loses his only job. But Roy decides to give Richard another chance with one test: Richard must murder a helpless homeless man in broad daylight. Richard uses Roy’s gun to prove himself, and shortly after the murder, Roy gives Richard a job as his personal hitman.

During his ruthless killing sprees, Kuklinski makes more than enough money to provide a comfortable life for his wife, Deborah (Winona Ryder) and his two daughters. But when Josh Rosenthal (David Schwimmer), one of Roy’s idiotic friends, double crosses two Cuban drug dealers by killing them, keeping the money, and stealing the cocaine, Roy orders Richard to lay low until the heat dies down. And Richard allowing a young girl, who witnessed one of his murders to go free (Kuklinski refuses to kill women and children) puts a strain and Richard’s business relationship with Roy. With pressure from Deborah, and a lack of money, Richard teams up with another hitman, who uses his job as an ice cream man for cover. Robert Pronge or “Mr. Freezy” (Chris Evans) puts Richard back in the game as free agent for different mafia families, going against Roy’s orders. Also, Mr. Freezy teaches Kuklinski the technique of freezing dead bodies to throw off the cops and detectives.

One of Mr. Freezy’s jobs involves murdering one of Roy’s trusted men at a night club, with plans to eventually kill Roy in the future. The lure of a big payday from mob boss Leo Marks (Robert Davi) convinces Richard to take the job, using a spray filled with cyanide to kill Roy’s associate by covering it up with a harmless sneeze. But Richard is spotted by an acquaintance at the club, and shortly after the hit, Richard is tied to the murder. Furious, Leo calls off the hit on Roy, and he refuses to pay Richard for the job, so Richard snaps, and kills Leo.

Richard receives a stern warning from Roy with Roy promising to go after Richard’s family if necessary, and Mr. Freezy urges Richard to lay low, but Richard kills him instead after he suspects Mr. Freezy gave away his home location to Roy and his enemies. Richard tries to do one last job to make enough money, and move his family away from the crossfire, but unbeknownst to Richard, the FBI is setting up a sting operation to put him behind bars for life.

Solid supporting cast all around with Ray Liotta, Winona Ryder, Robert Davi, and Chris Evans providing the most noteworthy performances. And James Franco has a cameo here as a sleazy and despicable  pornographer. Franco only has one scene, because Kuklinski takes him out after his first and only appearance.

But make no mistake about it, Michael Shannon is the star here. Shannon’s ruthlessness, his rage, and cold-hearted demeanor embodied the sadistic reputation of Richard Kuklinski. Although, Shannon could also showcase a more vulnerable and caring side, as a devoted husband and loving father.  His performance is Oscar worthy, and he really carries this film on his back most of the time.

All in all, The Iceman is a bloody and brutal docudrama/crime drama. It feels too ordinary at times, and considering the source material, you would expect something more extraordinary or masterful. And I can guarantee you, even if you’re not familiar with Richard Kuklinski, you’ll be able to see the “botched one last job before I get out of the life, followed by a dramatic arrest from a large group of cops, and court appearance before I receive a life sentence” ending coming from a mile away. Plus, Ariel Vromen’s bland style of directing didn’t help anything. Still, with most of (if not all of) the credit going to Michael Shannon, The Iceman is a very good movie. Not great, but very good.

Final Rating: 8/10