SXSW Review: COLD WEATHER

COLD WEATHER manages to take two underlying story ideas and combine them into a conceptually intriguing film, one that is partially successful and partially missing its full potential. Aaron Katz (DANCE PARTY, USA) wrote and directed COLD WEATHER, beginning with a story about an estranged brother and sister and wraps it up loosely with a film noir jacket, vaguely reminiscent of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.

Doug (Cris Lankenau) is an intelligent young man having studied criminal justice and forensic science, but who has taken time from school to find work and save some money. His passion lies with becoming a detective, romanticized by the literary notion of Sherlock Holmes as his ideal role model. Initially mocked by others for his source of inspiration, Doug is quick to dispel their misguided notions of Holmes as depicted in early films as a caricature of the true literary figure.

Doug gets a job at an ice factory, where he meets Carlos (Raúl Castillo) and they quickly become friends. When Carlos’ girlfriend goes missing, Carlos enlists the reluctant help of Doug to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s disappearance. Once Doug finally discovers compelling evidence that something is amiss about the circumstances surrounding Carlos’ girlfriend, he begins to put his knowledge into play, seeking her out and revealing the truth of her behavior.

What begins as a solitary pursuit, eventually evolves into a mutual effort between Doug and his sister Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn) who end up working together to solve the mystery. The estranged siblings begin with a troubled relationship, distant and at odds over Doug’s path in life, but becomes a way for them to reconnect with each other and presents the most intriguing element in COLD WEATHER, merely enhanced by the mystery flavoring.

Generally speaking, COLD WEATHER is a successful film that explores some untested water in terms of family relations. The pacing is a bit slow at times, with the high moments rising above the more abundant low moments. The story itself is intriguing, if not a bit slow moving, but I would have liked to a little more of the relationship develop between Doug and Gail a little sooner in the story arc and not put quite so much focus on the mystery of Carlos’ girlfriend.

Visually, COLD WEATHER is impressive, featuring a palette of grays that brings the setting of Portland, Oregon to life through the use of the RED digital camera technology. The film features some incredible shots, including one of Doug and Gail standing on a bridge in front of a waterfall which utilized an expensive and powerful hi-tech lens, giving the film some additional visual appeal. For this, additional praise goes out to Andrew Reed (QUIET CITY) for his cinematography, accompanied by solid editing, also from Aaron Katz.

Overall, I consider COLD WEATHER to have a compelling story with untapped potential. The film deserves a second viewing and, dare I say, could prove an intriguing source material for an ongoing dramatic TV series based on the relationship and cooperative mystery-solving efforts of the sibling team.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars