Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and Vanessa Hudgens Star in this new nail biter
Nicolas Cage has had quite an up and down career, but he always manages to at least do enough worthy movies to keep a solid fan-base (Ghost Rider or The Wicker Man anyone?). Oscar winner Cage (Born Nicholas Kim Coppola, nephew of award winning director Francis Ford Coppola), has starred in some of my favourite movies, like Bad Lieutenant, Drive Angry and the thumpingly good Kick Ass (I’m not listing them all!), but the The Frozen Ground is a different creature to the aforementioned bevy of flicks. This Scott Walker directed thriller is in actual fact based on the true story of serial killer Robert Hansen (Cusack) who was convicted of 4 murders in 1983, but police were sure he had killed over 20.
Detective Jack Halcombe (Cage), an Alaskan cop has been hunting the killer of young women, dumped in the Alaskan wild. An Anchorage State Trooper, finds a young woman (Hudgens), handcuffed and terrified but even though police know Hansen was the guy, the prostitute won’t testify against him. It’s up to Jack to piece it all together and put an end to ‘stand up guy’ Hansen’s reign of terror. Hansen has most people fooled but he can only get away with it for so long.
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John Cusack (The Numbers Station) played a convicted killer in the strange but well acted The Paperboy but here he’s a more stable character, in appearance at least, but far from normal inside. His performance is as we would expect from Cusack as he handles his role with ease. Nicolas Cage can be an explosive actor when it’s called for but he doesn’t get into anything showy, but rather, gives us the usual solid performance we know so well. Vanessa Hudgens (Spring Breakers) was the strongest of the trio, showing she’s ready to take on the most demanding of roles if called for. Miss Hudgens has never put a foot wrong in anything I’ve seen her perform in and this critic has nothing but admiration for the beautiful young actor. The Frozen Ground may not be everyone’s favourite thriller of 2013 but it kept me engrossed for 105 minutes, making it a film worth seeing if like me, you enjoy a well put together, well acted movie.
Grade: B
by Nav Qateel
