Desperate times, desperate measures

Courtney Hunt's debut film "Frozen River" is a minor miracle - who on earth funds this kind of film anymore? Especially if the film is a bit of a downer, considering it's lower income protagonist (played by a solid Melissa Leo) is a mother of two sons who needs to secure their new house as her husband has disappeared (presumably to Atlantic City) with their savings. She meets up with a Mohawk woman from the nearby reservation and together they bring illegal immigrants across the titular river into Quebec (I think). This is not a thriller though, and one should not be fooled by the cover blurb by Tarantino who calls it a great thriller. No, this is a character study of two women, both with much to lose, who will do what's necessary to keep going, even as the viewer understands that they are caught up in life narratives that do not end in grateful resolution. It's a low budget film, and the digital camera work serves to enhance the immediacy of the characters' crises. It's brave film, nothing brilliant, but worth sitting through.