Four twenty-something guys, all of whom were childhood friends, get together at a cabin in the snowy backwoods of Ontario for some weekend hunting, poker playing, and general male bonding. The film calls to mind "The Big Chill" (1983), with its ensemble cast, about the weekend reunion of old friends.
In "Ice Men", one of the four guys is Vaughn (Martin Cummins), who owns the cabin. He is outraged when his estranged, older brother, Trevor (Ian Tracey), shows up unexpectedly, crawling around under the house, of all things. Trevor's arrival changes the group dynamics, and propels the plot toward expressions of anger and resentment, suitable as a basis for requisite story tension and conflict. But there's too much angst, and the story descends into a kind of male bonding soap opera.
The script is very talky. Yet, we actually learn relatively little about the five guys. Vaughn is self-centered, and belligerent toward the others. I didn't like him at all. Questions about these guys, and their back-stories, are left largely unresolved. And it's up to viewers to interpret character arcs and the story's overall message.
The film's ensemble acting is generally acceptable. Color cinematography is fine, especially interior lighting. Several flashbacks show the guys as childhood friends. The plot's pace is slow, with very long camera "takes". Background music is haunting and low-key.
Maybe the point of the film is to show how adult men interact with each other when they're alone. Or maybe the point is to show the effect of time, as childhood friends mature into adults. But I'm really not sure. The story's theme is ambiguous. And the story itself, like the ice they play hockey on, is rather thin.
"Ice Men" may be of some interest to viewers interested in cinematic character studies. But somehow, I just couldn't get interested in these guys and all their ... issues.
