The Ice House

A Twisty British Whodunit With Gothic Undertones And An Intense Daniel Craig Performance
One of the primary selling points to the 1997 British two-parter "The Ice House" is to enjoy a younger, and distinctly less famous, Daniel Craig. Craig plays a detective who can be characterized as intense, brusque, and oftentimes downright hostile. It's a strong performance and one that grows more interesting, more nuanced, and much softer (but still with edge) as this mystery unravels. I mention Craig upfront as the entire marketing campaign for this DVD release hinges on his popularity. Just look at the cover--nothing but Craig! While Craig is compelling, though, it would be unjust to claim that this production belongs to him alone. In fact, "The Ice House" is a true ensemble piece with a number of actors turning in stellar work. The DVD menu has the two parts listed separately as well as a feature with the source novel author Minette Walters.

"The Ice House" begins with the discovery of a body on the isolated estate inhabited by a controversial trio of women. Penny...

Simmering potboiler of a mystery starring a young Daniel Craig
The Ice House is a 3 hour long police procedural adapted from Minette Walters' work of the same title. The novel won the Crime Writers Association Award for Best First Novel and also the John Creasey Award for Best Debut in 1992. The TV adaptation is a co-production between the BBC and WGBH Boston in association with Showcase Canada. This TV adaptation was screened back in 1996 and is finally available on DVD here in the United States.

The story reminded me a little of The Midsomer Murders crime series but with darker, more menacing undertones. The story begins with the discovery of a badly decomposed corpse in a desolate and forgotten ice house. The ice house is part of the grounds of a large estate called Streech Grange, owned by Phoebe Maybury (Penny Downie). Ten years earlier, Phoebe's despised husband David had gone missing and Phoebe was the prime suspect in the case. The police at the time suspected Phoebe of murdering her husband and had even dug up the grounds in...

The Chilling Abyss of the Human Soul
'The Ice House' is a truly remarkable venture, both in terms of plot and of characterization.

As far as the slowly unfolding plot is concerned, the film is second to hardly any of the British (TV) mysteries of past years such as 'Inspector Morse', 'Silent Witness', 'Inspector Lynley' etc.

The main characters are portrayed in a convincing yet cinematically appropriate way. Right from the very beginning the film psychologically probes the dark sides of human nature keeping the viewer in tight suspense right to the very end. It's not the ice house of the title that chill is emanated from - it's the abyss of the human soul !

Definitely worth seeing.

Click to Editorial Reviews