FROZEN RIVER challenges audiences to witness the strength and the character of America's underclass - and, ultimately, asks if they have what it takes to endure such hardship. First-time feature filmmaker Courtney Hunt tells the story of two women from different worlds who stand together in an astoundingly bleak landscape - unlikely partners on economic thin ice. Their struggle unfolds with such authenticity - free from the comfort endemic to most American films - that the pain and power of the story are palpable. The performances of Melissa Leo and Misty Upham stand among this year's finest.
