Based on the career and capture of the notorious hitman Richard Kuklinski, The Iceman is a testament to the power of great casting.
Michael Shannon is brilliant in his nuanced portrayal of Kuklinski, a stone-faced killer damaged by a battered childhood and who was rumored, at the time of his arrest in 1986, to have killed over 100 people.
The film is directed by Ariel Vromen and shot in Shreveport, Louisiana, which convincingly passes for New Jersey in the late twentieth century. The settings, costumes, and ways of life all seem of the period in which the film’s events took place, but nothing about these characteristics is particularly remarkable. Iceman gets most of its power from its people.
Winona Ryder delivers a deep and thoughtful performance as Kuklinski’s devoted wife, Deborah. She visibly struggles to connect with a man who seems incapable of healthily communicating his love for her and their children. It isn't until the end of the film that she learns how her husband has been supporting them.
Chris Evans and David Schwimmer, who on first sight are both nearly unrecognizable, play important roles as fellow members of the New Jersey crime world.
Ray Liotta plays Roy DeMeo, the hard-nosed soldato who first hires Kuklinski, the way we've come to expect from the seasoned character actor. Needless to say, he does not want for intimidation - he owns it in abundance.
Even with solid showings from each of his castmates, Shannon's thrilling performance - undoubtedly one of the best of his career - steals this film. He is captivating onscreen as the ruthless provider, expressionless throughout with eyes that reveal inner demons and a rage that's constantly burning. His effectiveness makes almost every scene.
Some people will be able to locate a shred of nobility in Kuklinski's devotion to his family, but others will not. Any iota that is initially visible will be hidden in the stacks of bodies that Kuklinski piles high by movie's end. Despite the appearance of the actor we recognize as Captain America, this is a film that contains no heroes, and most of its sentimentality is implied.
Vromen's narrative is a straightforward story plotted on a destructive life that is well-acted by a talented cast.