The film is a biographical crime drama about Richard Kuklinsky, a notorious assassin of Polish-Irish descent, who worked for the mafia and “ordained” them in New Jersey from the mid-1950s until the late 1980s. It is speculated that he killed between 100 and 250 people in a period of 40 years, and that no one close to him, family and numerous friends knew anything about it. The film follows his story in mixed time segments – first ending in prison – an introductory scene with a question written at the beginning of the text, then flashback to early youth as it all began, while most of the film is watched in its “brightest” years and in a negative sense.
As already mentioned, it was directed by a young and promising Israeli director, hitherto unknown to the general public. Although individuals state that the film is boring and full of holes in the sense that it did not delve too deeply into the dubiousness of the characters, I cannot agree with that. Individual scenes and expressions of the main characters were more than enough to conclude what and how the director imagined, and he presented the complete project as he imagined. The basis for the film itself, ie. he wrote the screenplay based on Anthony Bruno’s book “The Iceman: The True Story of a Cold-Blooded Killer”, with several collaborators.
The acting of the main protagonist is one of the most important things for a film like this. The story or action does not have to be very impressive and convincing, but the acting of the main protagonist must be. I have to say that I was delighted with the casting of Michael Shannon in the announcement, and he convinced me even better in the film. His cold and at times perverted-sick, but resolute look speaks more than a thousand words. This is perhaps his most important “weapon” in terms of acting, and it’s not just about this film. He broke with the role, and anything less than at least an Oscar nomination would be unacceptable.
As for the rest of the chest, Winona Ryder received a lot of praise. In my opinion, her character is so imagined and made that she didn’t even have anything to show as an actor, as she is not in this film. Really, what to say about a woman who almost all her marriage did not know what her husband was doing. It must be admitted that the Winoni years can do nothing. In addition to her, we should mention Ray Liotta, who has not played a slightly different character of a villain for the last twenty years, which of course ends badly at the end of the film. Here, too, that role could not bypass him, he does not get out of it, but simply merges with it and only changes movies. The only refreshment worth mentioning is Captain America Chris Evans, who is the only true acting refreshment in this project. He is physically almost, so unrecognizable and the role of Mr. Friesia did a great job, very effectively. I will not comment on David Schwimmer with that funny mustache and stupid and clichéd role.
So, all in all, one big recommendation for this serious and somewhat strenuous biographical crime drama, one of the best films of this year. If for no other reason, it should be watched because of one of the best male performances this year, the worthy Oscar.
