The Frozen Ground (2013)
Plot Summary
Alaskan state trooper, Jack Halcombe (Cage) believes that Robert Hansen (Cusack) is a serial killer who abducts young girls then tortures and sexually assaults them then kills them. But he doesn't have enough evidence to justify a search warrant of Hansen's premises. He knows one of his victims, Cindy Paulson (Hudgens) somehow survived so he tries to find her and asks her to help him. But when he finds her, she's a junkie and has trust issues. So Halcombe has to try and earn her trust so that she could help him. But Hansen is still doing it.
Nicholas Cage is a funny actor. He's a very talented actor but he has a tendency to give mailed in performances. This isn't one of them as he plays a state trooper who's trying to solve a serial murder case with John Cusack being killer. The movie has a lot of tension built into it and there are a couple very good "chase" type scenes that ratchet up said tension. In the grand scheme of things this had the feel of a police procedural but the one aspect that rises the material above CSI type drama is the relationship that Cage's character has with Vanessa Hudgens' Cindy. You really see that Cage is looking out for her best interests but she has been abused so much physically and mentally in her life that she doesn't trust anyone and will run at a drop of a hat. You really get the sense of Cage caring for her while at the same time trying to get her to help him solve the case.
There's one very good scene between the two of them at a roller skating rink where he's trying to find more about her and she totally shuts down and talks about how she doesn't need to get herself involved in all this. Cage then tries to find out about her family and trying to get her to a safe place and she basically tells him about the abuse she's had and how she doesn't need her family etc etc. It's a good scene the demonstrates how there is no trust and how she feels that she's a nobody.
Hudgens was excellent in her role and you really do feel for her. The movie does lay it on a bit thick with the whore life she's living and such but I think it really hits home the fact that these young girls who get into the sex trade are troubled and will often seek out money and drugs to make things "good" for themselves. It was pretty tough watching the flashbacks of Cusack torturing her while he's being totally calm about it.
Cusack's portrayal of Hansen is bone chilling at times to say the least. He lives a double life of being a respect citizen and a family man while at the same time he's a cold blooded torturing rapist who hunts down his prey in the woods afterwards. Cusack nails the cool detachment that many serial killers display and that's what makes his performance so great. I thought that the cat and mouse game of Cage trying to pin down evidence against Cusack was done quite well and the main interrogation scene a little over halfway through the film was excellent as you see Cage leading Cusack down the garden path showing the circumstantial evidence that is quite damning to Cusack. That scene was probably the best in the whole film.
The acting was fairly good in this across the board with Dean Norris playing Cage's (more or less) partner Sgt. Lyle Haugsven. The other actors that populate the movie as pimps, hookers and the like really gave the proceedings a grimy feel to it that really sold atmosphere. Hell, even 50 Cent in a bit role as a pimp who's hired to find Hudgens for Cusack's hired goon was pretty good!
I'm not sure why this movie was relegated to the "Straight to DVD" heap but it rises above the CSI trappings and tells a very strong story one that is based on real events
A solid ***
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