Posted: 08/21/2011

Cold Weather

(2010)

by Ruben R. Rosario

Now available on DVD from IFC Films and MPI Media Group.

Aaron Katz’s Cold Weather is a gem of an indie film and a great start for a first time filmmaker. The film centers on Doug (Chris Lankenau), who moves back to Portland and moves in with his sister Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn) after dropping out of college for forensic science. He gets a job at an ice factory and begins to remove himself from his former life as a student. When his ex-girlfriend Rachel (Robyn Rikoon) goes missing after coming to Portland to see him, Doug, Gail and his new friend from the ice factory Carlos (Raul Castillo) set out on a mystery adventure that takes them to all kinds of places in Portland. While the film has a kidnapping plot and plenty of mysteries, Cold Weather always focuses on its characters and intimate moments that make it stand out in contemporary American cinema.

Cold Weather takes the first 30 minutes setting up its plot and gives the audience a chance to learn about its characters. Whether it’s Doug loving Sherlock Holmes, Gail going out on dates or the fact that Carlos is a closet Star Trek fanboy, the fact of the matter is that Katz uses these idiosyncrasies to make these characters come to life. The pacing as well utilizes these subtleties for a logical progression with them on this mysterious journey to find Rachel. While some people might find the beginning long and boring to put up with, it’s this investment in them that gives Cold Weather its charm.

Another great skill that Katz builds off these characters is the tone and atmosphere of the movie. The kidnapping plot could be used for something dark and sinister, as it has been for many other films. Cold Weather, while plunging down the rabbit hole, never comes off as dark and its characters are too eccentric to let the tone seem bleak. Even when Carlos is trying to convince Doug that something bad has happened to Rachel, there’s so much good banter between the two that one can’t help but laugh. The genuine chemistry between the actors and the style of shooting creates a wonderful atmosphere of tension and relief within the 90 minute running time.

While the film is extremely well made, there are a few flaws that Katz succumbs to in Cold Weather. The most notable one is the awkward development between Gail and Doug near the end of the film. While the two of them have already committed to this journey, there’s still a portion dedicated to both of them finding out about each other in the midst of the mystery. While it’s great to have this, it would have been a more natural fit within the first 30 minutes when we’re learning about them in the first place. With this in mind though, it’s very easy to look past the faults of Cold Weather’s structure. It’s doesn’t set itself to have a proper structure and does what it wants to get its story across.

Cold Weather is a great independent film with a great sense of style, wit and genre study. After seeing this, I for one am looking forward to Aaron Katz’s next film to see what it offers American independent cinema.

Highly recommended!

Ruben R. Rosario is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio for Visual Media. He works as a freelance location sound mixer, boom operator, sound designer, and writer in his native Chicago. He’s an avid collector of films, comics, and anime.

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