The Ice House (1997)

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Would you have cast the Daniel Craig of The Ice House as James Bond? Craig's acting in this British TV mystery is of such a high caliber and the role he plays is so anti-Bond, you would have had to have been a truly gifted casting director with a crystal ball to have envisioned Det.-Sgt. McCloughlin as 007. In The Ice House, Craig is a decidedly unheroic copper who will drink anything with an alcoholic content. He is also a brilliant detective -- not the Sherlock Holmes type -- but an indefatigable bloodhound. The Ice House is definitely not a warm, cozy Midsomer Murders type of mystery. It explores the darkest reaches of the human soul. It chills while it thrills. And yet it is intensely watchable, even enjoyable. (Some of the dialogue is laugh-out funny. And some of it is quite blue.) :Part of its attraction may be the level of the writing. The symbolism of the Ice House becomes apparent early on, but doesn't call attention to itself. Indeed, it adds to the cold passion and frozen emotions that coat each frame of this film like frost on a window in deepest winter. At whatever level you choose to watch The Ice House -- as an intelligent, traditional British murder mystery; as a complex love story; as wry social commentary; or as carefully wrought fiction and acting in a setting as multifaceted as an ice crystal -- keep your eyes on the very cool Mr Craig.

The Ice House is a 1997 British mystery starring Daniel Craig, Corin Redgrave, Kitty Aldridge, Frances Barber, and Penny Downie. Three women living together and hated by the town come under suspicion when a body is found in their ice house. Ten years earlier, the husband of one of them, Phoebe (Downie) had disappeared, and at that time, she had been suspected of killing him by DCI Walsh (Redgrave). The other two women, Anne (Aldridge) and Diana (Barber) are lesbians. The town disapproves of them.Daniel Craig plays DS Andy McLoughlin, who is also working on the investigation of identifying the man in the ice house. His boss is convinced it's the husband. But there is more to the case and to the home situation, as Andy learns; all the while, he's falling for Anne.Very good mystery that really keeps you guessing. The lonely house provides a great atmosphere, and the characters are all well defined and well-acted. Daniel Craig is always good, and after seeing him on stage, I'm even more impressed with him. As a man with a troubled marriage, coming up against his boss, and getting personally involved with the case, he does a wonderful job. He and Kitty Aldridge have excellent chemistry.Highly recommended.

First I, even at my age, saw and took REAL notice of Daniel Craig was in "The Ice House". I thought to myself hubba, hubba (showing my age with that expression) and then watched out for him. When I saw "Layer Cake" I had no doubt that Daniel Craig will make as good a James Bond as Sean Connery and I just saw the new Bond film yesterday. He was a great James Bond equalling Sean Connery in my view much better than Pierce Brosnan (who is very good looking but lacks the killer spark) and silly Roger Moore who I don't think could land a punch on anything much less do any of those stuns and just painful to watch. I am actually well over the Bond movies as the computerized stunts irritate me but enjoyed this new film just watching Daniel Craig's lips!

"The Ice House" was I think the first, and easily the best, of the crime thrillers that shot author Minette Walters to bestseller status in Britain. Defined by strong characterisation and a sharp, well paced story, it has weathered well. The film made of the book is easily as good if not better, capitalising on strong acting, particularly Daniel Craig in the ascendant as an unlikely, wonderfully flawed hero. The excellent supporting cast fleshes out the background and helps draw you in to a believable world. Essentially the film contains all the elements I love in entertainment: well-defined human characters interacting with intelligent dialogue; crime, drama, a thread of romance shaded with darkness. A cracking film, well worth a watch. You never know – might even convert some of those Craig-as-Bond haters