Frozen River

Tundrariffic would be a great word to describe the terrific low key drama Frozen River. Even snow bound movies like Fargo and Lars and the Real Girl don't capture the frigid relations between people like Frozen River. Set along the U.S. - Canada border the story paints a vivid picture of a trailer trash mom who turns to human cargo when her husband abandons her and her employer enforces the glass ceiling.
Melissa Leo plays the desperate soul with a firm grasp on the nature of what drives a person to criminal activity. Leo is even better than she was in 21 Grams, and to give you an idea of how prolific she is, she's made over 35 film and television appearances since that 2003 film. Joining her is the equally magnetic Misty Upham, playing a Mohawk Indian widow in a similar hopeless situation who shows Leo the ropes regarding illegal transportation. These are a couple of tough chicks who know how to pack a side arm into a purse and when to use it.
Their friendship results more from the axiom "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" than any actual similarities they share as women. Frozen River is best when depicting this uneasy alliance. The scenes where Leo and Upham drive across the frozen St. Lawrence River are rightfully filled with foreboding and danger.
Their cargo includes Chinese and Pakistani nationals who're obviously being mistreated by the thugs holding them in Canada. Leo and Upham load them in the trunk and trek across the slush, later dropping them at a motel on the U.S. side where the money transaction is completed. Even though the women are at odds with each other a couple of important story and emotional twists take their commitment to each other up a notch. Frozen River will find an intelligent audience once the word starts to spread on its performance values.