I found this film good-paced and grabbing. It is Michael Shannon's performance that glues all the scenes together solidly, especially for some scenes not so self-solidifying. The main problem here is the script. It seems like the writer has problems extracting and summarizing. The story is with a good outer frame, and yet strangely hollow on the inside. It must be at the pick-and-choose process. Another probable reason is that the basis of this film came from two different books. The evidence of doubling, and even intersecting, information is quite apparent. Conflicting personalities and emotions can help build up a film's tone. But screenwriters can't be conflictual themselves, or the entire film feels like a swinging pendulum. I think "The Iceman" is a good enough film. Certainly entertaining. But it could have been a lot better, possibly along the line of "Goodfellas" and even "The Godfather". If we can walk back, there are certain points that the filmmakers should have exploited. The contrasting life of a businessman and a ruthless contract killer is what should have been dug deeper and expressed profusely. Some extra scenes should have been added to show us the man's great, great anguish. The Winona Rider's character is incredibly underused. As someone so close, it is she who can observe or even spot the contradictions. Whatever she feels about her husband, or the resolution she may have had over the years, it should have shown much more dramatic at the arrest scene. Surprises and anger are not enough. There must be some elements of life shattering or a state of deep shock. All in all, it comes back to the script, as acting and directing are indeed satisfactory.
Review of The Iceman
