161 - Cold Weather

Cold Weather is a mumblecore crime thriller, if it is indeed possible to conceive of such a thing, which it must be, because Cold Weather is one. Gentle, leisurely, and with a close focus on character relationships and foibles, it's a pleasant and surprisingly engrossing film, more evidence of the reliability of MUBI's curation. Never has a brother-sister amateur detective duo been so laid back. José has issues with the ending, Mike has an issue with the crime story, but neither takes issue with the film's strength: its characters' relationships. Whether between adversarial brother and sister, amicable exes, or newly bonding buddies, these are smartly observed and efficiently rendered, and the film relishes moments such as a familial debate over who gets to drive, and a detour in which a character hopes that taking up pipe smoking will allow him to think like Sherlock Holmes. With the exception of some self-consciously 'art filmy' shot choices, the film is well directed by Aaron Katz, who maintains a precise and agreeably unhurried tone throughout, and earns characterful performances from his cast. José also remarks upon the cinematography, some later scenes shot during dusk capturing Portland's natural light and industrial landscape beautifully. It's the least interesting of the three films we've recently explored on MUBI (the other two being O Fantasma and Border), but this low-key indie is lovely to spend time with, and worth a glance. Recorded on 31st July 2019.