Frozen River

Drew Dahle's Thoughts:
Despite a weak supporting cast, occasional instances of corny dialogue and contrived plot twists, Courtney Hunt's Frozen River, about a mother who smuggles undocumented persons over the Canadian border to raise money for a new "doublewide" for her family to replace their dilapidated trailer, ends up being a decent if unspectacular film. The main (only?) reason for this is Melissa Leo, who gives a strong central performance that surely elevates the film. There are numerous times when it is apparent how much more talented of an actor Leo is than the cast she has to work with; this works in Leo's favor though not so much in the film's. Though I wonder how much better Leo could have been if she had worked with other great actors who could help elevate her own performance. Nevertheless, Leo's convicted performance, while nothing for the ages, is worthwhile and one of the best female leads this rather weak year has produced.