The Iceman (2012)

The true story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

Director:

Ariel Vromen

Writers:

Morgan Land (screenplay), Ariel Vromen (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Shannon	...	Richard Kuklinski
Winona Ryder	...	Deborah Pellicotti
Chris Evans	...	Mr. Freezy
Ray Liotta	...	Roy Demeo
David Schwimmer	...	Josh Rosenthal
Danny A. Abeckaser	...	Dino Lapron
John Ventimiglia	...	Mickey Scicoli
Ryan O'Nan	...	Terry Franzo
McKaley Miller	...	Anabel
Megan Sherrill	...	Betsy
James Franco	...	Marty Freeman
Stephen Dorff	...	Joey Kuklinski
Hector Hank	...	Tender Bar Earl
Robert Davi	...	Leonard Marks
Zoran Radanovich	...	Jimmy

Storyline

The true story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters have any clue about his real profession.

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Plot Keywords:

family man | psychopathic killer | dead body in freezer | murder | hitman | 

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Taglines:

Loving husband. Devoted father. Ruthless killer.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 May 2013 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Jäämees

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$87,946 (USA) (3 May 2013)

Gross:

$239,392 (USA) (10 May 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bleiberg Entertainment, Millennium Films, RabbitBandini Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Before production began, director Ariel Vromen shot a test scene with Michael Shannon as Richard Kuklinski and Michael Wincott as Robert Pronge. Shannon kept his role in the feature version, while Chris Evans was cast as Robert Pronge.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.139 (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Like a Wolf"
Performed by The Go Getters
Written by Peter Sandberg (BMI)
Courtesy of LoveCat Music
Published by Big Tiger Music (BMI)

User Reviews

A standard biopic heightened only by Shannon's performance.

Claiming to have pulled off over one hundred hits to his name, Richard Kuklinski was a legendary mafia contract killer known for his intimidating stature, and his cold-hearted, nonchalant approach to murder. "The Iceman" is based on a true story, and is a fairly standard biopic that is only elevated by a gripping performance from Michael Shannon. Shannon's commanding performance is the overall highlight of the film- as the actor effortlessly transforms his character into a consistently engaging and genuinely frightening figure. "The Iceman" exhibits an array of methods Kuklinski employs to commit murder from the '50s until his arrest in the mid '80s. However, his method of freezing his victims is all but passed over, barely even mentioned. A minor detail perhaps, lost in the story line due to the ever-growing body count. But when your protagonist is a deranged killer, and nicknamed "The Iceman," it's a significant element of the story all but ignored, which led to his eventual undoing.

In Ariel Vromen's "The Iceman," we first meet Kuklinski as a young man out on a date with a woman destined to become Mrs. Kuklinski (Winona Ryder). She is shy and naive, but ultimately won over by the man's charisma, devotion, and persistence. Incredibly, Richard was able to maintain a double life, never mixing his unwavering devotion to his family, and his work for the Mafia. Recruited by local Mafia boss Roy (Ray Liotta), Richard begins to make a name for himself as a hit-man for the mob. Our protagonist is an outsider however, a Polish American who can never be fully integrated into the Mafia. This is a character study of a man that you have seen before in a number of gangster films--the killer in black leather gloves, sporting a trench coat, and void of any emotion when committing murder. The litany of killings administered by Kuklinski is predominantly delivered via montages.

Kuklinski was an impenetrable individual, and Shannon does justice to the man with a suitably complex performance. Shannon does his best with the limited material, and Ryder is fine as Richie's oblivious wife. But their efforts are further undermined by the thin and very familiar, decades-spanning mob story. Unfortunately, besides seeing just how many era-appropriate hairstyles and beards its characters can model in one movie, this telling of Richard's story seems to care more about the body count above all else.