Color, NR (mature themes, language, sexual situations), 108 min., DVD only $24.95
First Run: L, Dec. 2004, <$1 mil.
Street: Dec. 20, Prebook: Nov. 8
Cast: Martin Cummins (Smoke Screen), David Hewlett (TV's Stargate: Atlantis), Greg Spottiswood (All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story), James Thomas (Minor Adjustments)
Director: Thom Best
WOLFE
Story Line: A winter weekend of male bonding staged by Vaughn (Cummins) to celebrate the birthday of his best friend, Bryan (Hewlett), becomes unexpectedly tense when both his ne'er-do-well brother (Ian Tracey) and estranged girlfriend Renee (Brandy Ledford) show up at the family's cabin in the wilderness.
Bottom Line: Cinematographer Best makes an impressive directorial debut with this engrossing drama, which boasts production values of major-studio quality. With much of the action taking place in a cabin's main room, Ice Men inevitably seems like a stage piece, but Best's steady pacing, variety of camera angles and occasional changes of scenery keep it from being bogged down. Wolfe specializes in character-driven dramas with gay and lesbian themes, and a fair-sized chunk of this film is devoted to the dilemma faced by a closeted gay man (Spottiswood), who wants to make a move on a childhood friend (Thomas). The actual homoerotic content is limited to one passionate embrace and some kissing, although the atmosphere is charged with sexual tension. A generally well-written exploration of male bonding and the male psyche, Ice Men has the potential to break out of its niche, and it's perfectly acceptable for mainstream audiences.