Cold Weather (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Cris Lankenau, Raúl Castillo, Robyn Rikoon, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Jeb Pearson, Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler, Katy Rothert, Paul Rothert, Jerry Moyer Director:Aaron Katz Summary: After things go south for former forensic science major Doug (Cris Lankenau), he leaves Chicago… More
  Cast: Cris Lankenau, Raúl Castillo, Robyn Rikoon, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Jeb Pearson, Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambler, Katy Rothert, Paul Rothert, Jerry Moyer Director:Aaron Katz Summary: After things go south for former forensic science major Doug (Cris Lankenau), he leaves Chicago and returns home to Oregon to live with his sister, Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn) -- and soon finds himself entangled in an unexpected situation that calls on his investigative mind. Together with Gail and his friend Carlos, Doug uses his forensic skills and the techniques he's learned as a detective fiction enthusiast to unravel the mystery he encounters. MyThoughts: "The movie is a bit slow and doesn't give a lot of background on the character's, but I still found the story interesting and the character's to be likeable.The film is an independent mystery with the concept being the likes of Sherlock Holmes. It's a simple film. No blood or guts. But enjoyable none the less. I found it to be funny too. It's one of those films where you feel like you've been dropped into the middle of these peoples lives. No build up, no back story, just the here and now of what's happening. Not a bad film to watch on a long day."

• paul s

  
  Sometimes when you are viewing a film, it seems like you are a fly on the wall, witnessing the events as they naturally occur. This can be a definite plus, as it shows how seamlessly actors can suspend the wall between the screen and the viewer, but it can also be a deterrent, as in… More
  Sometimes when you are viewing a film, it seems like you are a fly on the wall, witnessing the events as they naturally occur. This can be a definite plus, as it shows how seamlessly actors can suspend the wall between the screen and the viewer, but it can also be a deterrent, as in the case of Cold Weather, the events are so natural and seem so mundane that instead of being real, it becomes almost surreal. Fortunately for me, I had forgotten why I wanted to view this film, other than that Ebert had recommended it. So I had no preconceptions going in, other than the short synopsis that Direct TV gives its films ("a comedy/mystery" now there's a novel concept). The beauty of this film is that, yes, there is a mystery - and I'm not going to say what it is - only that said mystery only begins to unfold half way through the films 100 minute run time. In the meantime you get to know the main characters, by witnessing how they go about their everyday lives. It's reality TV, only it's REAL, not some jumped up, look at me, BS, but actual, understated, this is my daily/weekly routine kind of stuff. Boring? Perhaps, and you keep wondering where the film is headed; but there's a point to it all - giving the film a very quirky tone that is yet another double edged sword - serving it well, but perhaps being too understated for its own good. It's hard to decide. As the film abruptly ended (literally) - I sat and thought for several minutes - yeah, it all worked, the tone, the fabulous "non-acting" of the actors... and yet does an Indie film have to scream Indie at the top of its lungs? In all, the characters are all believable, just regular folks, and there are so many subtle moments where the film seems just right, that I found this a refreshing trip away from Hollywood - note the fact that there is a chase scene ... involving only one car! Said scene, and the setup behind it are perfect examples of "what would you do?" Probably the same things these "regular" folks did - and that's the beauty of it... although the film's abrupt end, while I understood it, left me wanting some kind of resolution - see, I'm brainwashed by Hollywood after all.

• Lewis C

  
  I won't address the story of Cold Weather in detail, because I think the less you know of it, the better. But if you do need story details in advance, I'm sure they're easily found in the movie synopsis or other reviews. I'd just like to cover a few points about… More
  I won't address the story of Cold Weather in detail, because I think the less you know of it, the better. But if you do need story details in advance, I'm sure they're easily found in the movie synopsis or other reviews. I'd just like to cover a few points about why I liked it. First of all, it's pretty awesome how Cold Weather mixes the everyday, mostly uneventful, almost boring lives of their characters with surprising levels of mystery and tension. It's not often the word "realistic" fits a film as aptly as it does this movie. Second, I thought it ended much too quickly and abruptly, which is actually a partial compliment. For one, I wasn't ready for it to be over, and it ended in an unexpected and non-formulaic way. Third, this was simply one of the freshest movie experiences I've had this year, and I expect that it will be even better upon subsequent viewings. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is Winter's Bone. Not because the stories are similar, but because they center around realistic, un-stylized characters that make small, personal events seem more urgent and engrossing than the world-ending, massively bombastic plots of some much bigger films. With that said, I definitely think the audience for Cold Weather is more narrow than broad. It's by no means a perfect movie. The plot relies on coincidence after coincidence, and that may be hard for some to swallow. It's also a slow-burner throughout, and that may bore some people. Slow-paced doesn't necessarily mean boring or bad in my opinion, though, so I don't hesitate in giving Cold Weather my approval.

• Walter M

  
  In "Cold Weather," Doug(Chris Lankenau) is in something of a rut, having given up on his studies of forensic science, and moved back to Portland, Oregon to live with his sister Gail(Trieste Kelly Dunn). That has not stopped his general enthusiasm as he persuades her to take… More
  In "Cold Weather," Doug(Chris Lankenau) is in something of a rut, having given up on his studies of forensic science, and moved back to Portland, Oregon to live with his sister Gail(Trieste Kelly Dunn). That has not stopped his general enthusiasm as he persuades her to take a day off from work to go whale watching. That energy comes in handy at his new job working nights at an ice factory where he befriends Carlos(Raul Castillo) who he invities over when Doug's ex-girlfriend Rachel(Robyn Rikoon) comes to town. "Cold Weather" is an engagingly offbeat movie about how disappointments in life can weigh us down. So to escape the drudgery of work, we should play hooky every so often and have an adventure. That holds true especially for Doug who was inspired by Sherlock Holmes stories and Carlos who is a Star Trek fan.(What they forget to mention are the Next Generation episodes where Data dressed up like Sherlock Holmes. By the way, I totally agree that Gul Dukat was a really cool character. And, no, I have no idea why I am referencing Star Trek since I'm not really a fan and I promise not to do so in my next review.) In fact, I'll bet Doug bailed on forensic science when he found out how really dull it is.(I thought CSI would get referenced sooner or later, for that same reason.) So, while the movie makes great use of Portland locations, it does end suddenly, after a climax of almost unbearable suspense. I'm not so much interested in the resolution of the mystery, as after getting to know these characters so well, it seems a shame to leave them like that.