Friday, February 6, 2015

The Iceman

Michael Shannon is Richard Kuklinski, a contract killer for the mob - and husband/father. He earns the nickname "Iceman" by freezing his victims for up to 2 years before disposing of their body parts. Kuklinski starts out as a guy with a vicious streak who is then recruited to be a killer for the mob. His financial profile benefits, he lands Winona Ryder as a wife and eventually gets older and sloppy with his killings. Shannon is very good here as the stone-faced killer. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't really give us much in the way of background on Kuklinski - we learn he has a brother in prison and was beaten as a child but that's it - and starts with his first killing right away. Also, though based on a true story, the movie apparently has a questionable relationship with the truth. His real-life wife claims he beat her but the movie shows him as not abusive (other than one angry outburst). He claims 100+ murders and that's what the movie shows but his mob associates put it more like the 5 he actually got convicted. Whatever. This is a pretty good movie. 6/10.

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