Cold Weather

This is an interesting indie film by auteur Aaron Katz. I had not seen any of his previous work but had heard the film was well received at SXSW in 2010. Similarly, I had seen a review that compared it to the film Brick (2005) that I had enjoyed immensely.

Plot wise the film introduces us to a forensic science college dropout Doug who idolizes Sherlock Holmes and his Slacker sister Gail as they move into an apartment together in Portland Oregon. Doug lays about and searches for some direction in life, eventually finding a menial night job at an ice factory. We are then introduced to one of Doug's co-workers Carlos and Doug's ex-girlfriend Rachel who is in town for business. The four start hanging out together, playing cards and board games, drinking coffee, going to clubs and enjoying each other's company. Rachel's sudden mysterious disappearance from her hotel room spurs the other friends to action and ignites Doug's inner Sherlock Holmes.

This film is considered by many critics to be part of the mumblecore movement. As such it has lots of long shots, a slowly evolving plot and realistic dialogue between lots of slackers. In some respects this film is more about the brother sister relationship between Doug and Gail than it is about the mystery of Rachel's disappearance. It has an arty independent feel to it and it was obviously shot on a low budget. Cold Weather is certainly not going to be for everyone's taste, especially the abrupt ending. However, I really liked its quirkiness and indie feel probably because I've got thing for overly educated layabouts.

Since this is available on Netflix instant streaming I would suggest you give it a viewing. That is if you enjoy small independent films with a grungy vibe. I found it inspiring that the writer/director was able to get this made, I plan on checking out some of his previous films. O and I think I would like to take a trip up to check out Portland Oregon it looks amazing.

It took me a while to like this film, a long while, so much so I nearly gave up as the promised story from the one paragraph outline that MUBI sent mentions a brother and sister duo investigating what may or may not be a crime. In the end I did like it - just, and then suddenly it was over... when the standard Hollywood film would have revealed the payoff.

The film starts out as a slice of mundane life of a young man unsure of what he wants out of life, we get to meet his sister, his parents, and then a co-worker all set in a dreary cold city. At about half way through the story finally engages with the arrival of an ex girlfriend who then disappears. Slowly the protagonist is finally convinced that something isn't right by the co-worker who was getting friendly with the ex-girlfriend, and about the last third of the film is the solving of the mystery surrounding the ex-girlfriend.

I thought the performances were realistic, the mundanity was completely believable, and also bored me, because it was so true to life.

Well shot, so that you are barely aware of the camera, which adds to the slice of life style.

This movie really makes it. It grips you to the characters and especially to the story, nevertheless the end is unsatisfying... and I literally mean unsatisfying. The story is gut, the character feel so real, and the movie itself is filled with fantastic suspense and many laughing moments This film is like a detective story. First we are introduced to Doug, a drop out of high school with studies in forensic science.He is a fan of Detective stories and especially of Sherlock Holmes. He gots a job in an ice factory and there he meets Carlos. Doug borrows Carlos a Sherlock Holmes book and he also starts to like detective stories. One day Doug's ex-girlfriend visits Oregon and Carlos goes out with her. She suddenly disappears and Carlos. Becomes worried about her. Both, Doug and Carlos get int the adventure of finding her.

I saw the film in the Filmfest of Munich and after the film was over, the audience had the chance to make questions to the director. Mr. Aaron Katz told us that he wanted to write a story that dealed about the brother and sister relations, which according to him wasn't a very used theme and that most of the times that this theme was used were stories of rivalry. If there is something that you will like about the movie is the scenes of Doug with her sister. Doug uses her car, makes her steal a book from the library, asks her to drive him to every he wants, etc. He also added that the end was like that because he wanted to deliver the message that everything was solved and that the characters would continue their lives.

I recommend the film, even though the ending is not what many people would like, this film rocks. This is the type of film sticks you the feeling of: "I wanna know more, I WANNA KNOW MORE!"

I don't know how people would consider this movie is a good one. The screenplay, the plot, the scenario in all are just too weak and uninteresting. The main male actor is such a wimp with a very unlikable meaty and fleshy face with dumb expression all the time like a retarded person. There is no way any woman would like to start a relationship with this guy. I also wonder why this movie would have to shot in the constant wet weather of Portland, Oregon. The guy read his book back to the light, then slept with lamp still on. The whole movie is just a No Big Deal while trying so hard to make something look big deal out of it. This movie told us that a couple of male dimwits who didn't even know how to deal with their own ordinary daily lives albeit playing private detectives. They both looked so stupid because the dialog of this screenplay made them look just like some worthless losers, no hopes, no ambitions, no nothing. This is a very lame movie with terrible dialog(especially the dialog!), poor acting, poor directing, poor sound tracks. There's nothing worthwhile watching or commentating. By saying so much only proved how frustrating when I watched this lousy movie. Don't waste your time, man.

Cold Weather (2012)

Indie films with their low budgets can turn a couple of basic directions to distinguish themselves. One is sheer inventiveness or surprise. The other is low key realism making ordinary people seem relatable, and that is where this movie goes. There are dozens of these, often with young casts appealing to the twenty-something generation somewhere between college and career.

So we have a young man, Doug, living with his sister in Portland just as he finds a job in an ice factory. And then his ex-girlfriend arrives in town on business, and they see each other as old friends. The fourth character is a co-worker at the factory who befriends Doug and falls for the ex-girlfriend. And we see the basis of a relationship drama, not quite a romantic movie but not a serious probing drama, either.

But then the movie turns abruptly, and the comic aspects get interwoven with an apparent crime that these amateur Sherlocks can't quite get their finger on. But their efforts make a great game. It's super low key, and any other movie would hype up the facts with guns and scary soundtrack music and real (or cheesy) fear. Not this kind of Indie film. This is about the people, and the "crime" they are pursuing is a just way to learn more about the protagonists.

Which is pretty fun. The acting holds together pretty well, regular people being regular people without affectation. Easier said than done, but also leaving the audience less to really work with or care about than you'd prefer. By the very end, the last few moments, there is a final realization that's rather sweet and rewarding, and the movie turns back to what it's best at.

See it? If you have an open mind for lower budget but reasonably well made modest movies (known as Indie films), you might just find this one clicks. Within its limitations.