Well, the verdict is in from Venice on hitman thriller "The Iceman" and unfortunately…it's not great. Our man on the ground filed his review this morning and said, "being based on a true story isn’t enough to elevate a film in a well-worn genre ahead of the pack. Fans of [Michael] Shannon might get a kick out of seeing him front-and-center in a film like this, but for everyone else, it’s likely a rental at best." Bummer. And while Shannon does look good, this indeed seems like a missed opportunity.
Shannon plays Richard Kuklinski, one of the most notorious mob hitmen, claiming over 100 kills while keeping his true identity secret from his wife and kids. When he runs afoul of a mob boss, played with dull predictability by Ray Liotta, he has to protect his other life as a solid family man no matter what the cost. The biggest takeaway we took from this is the immaculate grooming Shannon and Chris Evans (Kuklinski's mentor) take in regards to their facial hair. Holy handlebars guys! And as our review notes, the shifting follicles on their faces denote the passage of time over the decades spanning film.
Co-starring Winona Ryder, David Schwimmer, James Franco (whose fate is pretty much spoiled) and more, "The Iceman" hits Venice and TIFF in the coming weeks. Watch below.