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Considering the time of year, independent film Cold Weather may not have the greatest title in the world. It would sound so much more enticing if instead it were a 99-degree day in mid-July. However, no matter what the season is one should be prepared to have a lot of patience for a film that’s the epitome of a shoestring budget.

Tense and awkward best describe a family dinner during which Doug (Cris Lankenau), who has returned home to Portland, Oregon after dropping out of college, clumsily answers his parents’ inquiry as to what he plans to do now that he’s back. The disappointment in the room is palpable, but the seemingly aimless Doug is lucky because he’s able to live with his gainfully employed sister, Gail (Trieste Kelly Dunn).

If Doug were one of the seven dwarfs he would have been known as Dopey. He’s lethargic, doughy-eyed and still clings to the idea of going back to forensic science and becoming a modern day Sherlock Holmes. Through it all, Doug enjoys a close knit relationship with Gail who caters to his whims.

Doug somehow lands a minimum wage job at an ice factory where he befriends Carlos (Raul Castillo), a professional D.J. on the side with a fascination for all things Star Trek. The plot thickens when Doug’s ex-girlfriend, Rachel (Robyn Rikoon) shows up from Chicago and just as quickly disappears. Doug and Carlos soon become Portland’s own Holmes and Watson as they, along with Gail, try to unravel Rachel’s vanishing act.

Written and directed by relatively inexperienced filmmaker Aaron Katz, Cold Weather begins with some brutally sluggish pacing. This is compounded by Katz’s seeming inability to come up with anything for the actors to say. There are multiple shots where the camera lingers on Doug sleeping or on surrounding mountains. It’s as if he thought to himself, “I need this to be a 90 minute movie but I only have 35 minutes of dialogue.” In one extended scene we have to watch Doug and Gail quietly eating a lunch near a beach. No dialogue, just seagulls squawking. It does nothing to advance the story. Often times the actors and actresses might as well have been French mimes; The Social Network, this film is not.

The saving grace for Cold Weather is that it does indeed pick up with Rachel’s disappearance. There’s a real feeling of suspense, although nothing too dramatic. It’s simple, fun entertainment with some good interaction between the trio of Lankenau, Dunn, and Castillo. Of the cast, Dunn, who in 2008 played Molly McConnell in the television series Canterbury’s Law, is the one that shines. She has a striking look about her and there is a sense of depth behind her eyes. As with all the characters, there’s so little for her to say that unfortunately we don’t get to know enough about her.

Ultimately, the flourish of excitement comes to a sudden, unexpected end. It’s as if Katz ran out of money and said, “Sorry cast and crew, but I don’t have any more money, or pizza to feed you so we’re going to stop.” The abruptness will leave you a little perplexed probably much like it did with the cast and crew.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing, Cold Weather receives a C.

Cold Weather is not rated and has a running time of 96 minutes.

Now showing through March 10 @
Glenwood Arts
9575 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-642-4404 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.

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