Frozen (2005)

Simply A Masterpiece

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

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

Up until a few days ago I hadn't heard of this film but when I saw it listed in the television guide and read that the always excellent Shirley Henderson was in it I decided to give it a go. I'm glad that I did as it was pretty good.Shirley Henderson plays Kath a woman who can't get over the disappearance of her sister two years before. She is convinced that somebody has done something to her but the police have no evidence to suggest foul play. The only real clue is CCTV footage which shows her entering an alleyway but doesn't show her leaving. Kath is helped by the CCTV operator who lets her review the tapes and by her Counsellor who she discusses her problems with. I won't say anything about the ending as I wouldn't want to spoil it for first time viewers.The film is fairly bleak, both in the subject matter and the way it is filmed, there was a constant sense of isolation and cold. As I'd expected Shirley Henderson did a great job in the leading role, the supporting cast also put in good performances, I especially liked Roshan Seth as her counsellor. While I did enjoy the film I felt it looked more like a superior television production rather that a cinematic production intended for the big screen, not that that is necessarily a bad thing, it makes a nice change to see a thriller with no guns in sight let alone the explosions that seem de rigueur these days. If you get a chance to watch this fine film I'd certainly take it.

I have just finished watching this film on TV and I was totally absorbed. The casting was perfect, the coastal locations bleak but with a strange beauty as only our coasts have, and the story itself is haunting. This beautifully crafted film, reminiscent of Nick Roeg's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's 'Don't Look Now', is a credit to the British Film industry. It just goes to prove that you don't need mega amounts of money and 'A list' Hollywood stars to make an thoughtful and very watchable film. In particular, I thought Shirley Henderson as Kath Swarbrick and Roshan Seth as Noyen Roy, were both superb and brought sensitivity to their roles which was both understated and convincing. The direction by Juliet McKoen and screenplay by her and Jayne Steel were, I thought, pretty much faultless. Some viewers have complained about the slow pace - unfortunately now-days the art and skill of building tension or atmosphere gradually is in danger of being lost in favour of crashing out everything at breakneck speed. I loved this film - if you're considering buying it on DVD, 10% of the proceeds goes towards the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Juliet McKoen's 'Frozen' is an odd little film. On one level it's a simple mystery, with Shirley Henderson's sad, disturbed Kath searching for her missing sister. On another it's, in part at least, a re-telling of elements of 'Orpheus and Euridice' - complete with tragic finale. Surprisingly, given setting and subject matter, allusions to Greek myth are made throughout this film, often in a rather contrived manner (an Oracle, in the form of a CCTV camera, is consulted; a modern Charon is seen in visions; Kath sets off into the Underworld to find her beloved sibling, etc), often in a rather laboured manner – but it's an interesting approach Henderson, a most capable character actress, is as good as ever, and holds our attention throughout – and her Kath is genuinely touching. Of the supporting cast (a surprising number of whom seem drawn from the northern sit-com stable) only Roshan Seth as Kath's counsellor-cum-love-interest is worthy of note.Much of this subtlety in characterisation is, sadly, lost in the plot. The mystery at the heart of the story, it has to be said, is wafer thin – the final, fatal direction of Kath's sister's last known steps is blindingly obvious half-way through the film. That said, the inevitable end of the hero is one of the most notable features of Greek Tragedy, so perhaps this was intention. A good script, strong, subtle performances and skillful direction make this a most entertaining, if contrived tale.

This is Shirley Henderson's film through and through. If "Frozen" does nothing else it must surely let casting agents see that Henderson can be stretched further than we have ever seen before and that she will deliver the goods. Her performance has already been recognised in the BAFTA Scotland Awards in 2005 where she (rightly) picked up the Best Actress prize. This is the first time that she has carried a film as the star that she is. Here there are no places to hide since she is on screen in mostly every scene. With a flawless Lancashire dialect (she is Scottish) and a paper-thin fragility, she convinces us that she is trapped in this bleak but beautiful (and rarely filmed) place as she searches for the truth behind her sister's mysterious disappearance.The film is slow though well paced, stark and bleak, but never dull, but would have been a whole lot better if the end wasn't so obfuscated and needlessly confusing. In a whodunit (and this is) you can't short change the audience by not telling them what happened. From what I can tell, about half the audience when I saw it really liked the film. Others were disappointed and without doubt this is not a commercial film by any standard, but it is one worth seeing just for Henderson's tour de force.