WINTER OF FROZEN DREAMS (2009)

Directed by Eric Mandelburg. Drama, Action.

Starring: Thora Birch, Keith Carradine, Brendan Sexton, Dean Winters, Colleen Camp.

SYNOPSIS: DRAMA BASED ON TRUE EVENTS OF A SMART YOUNG WOMAN TURNED PROSTITUTE WHO SEDUCES TWO MEN INTO NAMING HER AS A BENIFICIARY ON THEIR LIFE INSURANCE, WITH BOTH ENDING UP DEAD OF CYANIDE POISINING.

This is a very interesting film, I'll start out by stating clearly. Despite being a true crime aficionado, I will confess to knowing nothing of the murders committed by Barbara Hoffman (Thora Birch) in the late 70's in the Madison, Wisconsin area. Having seen this flick, I'm very eager to do more background research on the events, which I think speaks well of the flick.

Having said that, I must say that this is a difficult film to follow the first time you see it...there is no simple chronological flow to the film. It starts in 1980 (the time of Hoffman's trial) and immediately jumps back to the 1977 (the time the events occurred) and keeps flashing back and forward from there. At times, it is difficult to fully grasp where you are in the story, which is a good one and, in my opinion, very well acted.

Of course, its easy to criticize from the cheap seats without offering an alternative solution and, since I don't want to be "that guy", I will say that I thought the movie would have been just a little easier to follow if it was shot in a straight "start to finish" chronological style or a conventional flashback style. Instead, we have flashbacks within flashbacks, accompanied by cutaways. Not to give too much away, but when one of the main characters meets his end early in the flick, don't despair, because you will see him again often in the ubiquitous flashback scenes.

Now that I'm done with my major complaint about this flick, I'm on to the more positive, and there is a good bit of that.

This is a very good film. Yes, its low budget, but I don't like to get too hung up on that aspect because those of us who love flicks know that the budget often is not the determining factor in whether or not a flick works or not. Here, you have what I've often said is the key to a good flick: 1) an interesting story 2) good acting 3) good direction. That's it. Notice nothing about CGI or SFX, though those things can certainly add to the movie, they don't make it good.

Enough proselytizing, I'm off the soap box. First and foremost, this is true crime, so if you like that sub-genre, you're already half way to becoming a fan of Winter of Frozen Dreams. Second, it is wonderfully shot. Those of us old enough to remember the 70's remember it as a very distinct time in terms of fashion, both clothing and personal, as well as language and, well, it had a special "feel" to it. This flick captures the feel of the 70's without going over the top or flirting with spoofing the era. I guess the best way to say it is I felt like I was watching a story unfold in the late '70's, as opposed to feeling like I was watching a movie that was trying to look like the 70's, and, inevitably, overdoing it with the wide ties, Afros, long hair, platform shoes, disco music blaring from everywhere and bushy sideburns.

Birch is really good here, her character extremely hard to peg and describe. She is both the protagonist and the antagonist, in a way. Will you, kind of, root for her-in a way, or despise her? Will you form the opinion that this former honor student at one of the U.S.'s finest universities couldn't have possibly done the things she was accused of, or will you have no doubt, based on the movie, that she is guilty as sin? Will you understand completely how she was able to seduce her victims or will you wonder just what in the world these men were thinking about?

I predict your answer to these questions just might be: yes to all of the above. Which makes it interesting, at least in my book. My superficial research into the actual Barbara Hoffman would seem to indicate that Birch nailed it.

Keith Carradine (Southern Comfort, Chiefs) is excellent as the hard bitten detective so close to retirement he's half way to Florida, but pauses to solve the riddle no one else even realizes has been posed. Brandon Sexton is also very good in his role as Hoffman's lover & victim (?)...to me he looks very much like a young...Keith Carradine. Also, kudos to Dean Winters (Oz) in his small but important role as Barbara's pimp. For me, the most notable thing with the supporting cast in this movie was a barely recognizable-to me anyway- Colleen Camp (Die Hard 3) as Birch's potential, if slightly looney, mother in law.

Winter of Frozen Dreams is a flick I think you have to give a shot if you like true crime or just a well acted drama. Yes, it has its flaws-just like almost every flick ever made-and the one I talked about earlier makes this the kind of flick I predict you'll have to watch twice to fully appreciate.

The good thing is, this is a flick I also predict you will want to watch again.