Great movie. Terrible download.

It was skipping all over the place. We couldn't even watch 15 minutes of it.

A terrible waste of money.

I, personally, was not alive in 1973 -- it was a decade too early for me and my closest friends

But Ang Lee gave us some glimpses into the landscape of 1970s suburbia, in the wake of the sexual revolution. "The Ice Storm" is a chilly, bitterly lonely little drama, with moments of biting humour and poignant alienation between these people. They pass each other, but never touch.

The Carvers and Hood live in the same affluent suburban neighborhood, and on the surface all seems well. But self-absorbed Ben Hood (Kevin Kline) is having an affair with the icy Janie Carver (Sigourney Weaver), and his daughter Wendy (Christina Ricci) is experimenting with Janey's son Mikey (Elijah Wood. And Elena Hood (Joan Allen) is experiencing an identity crisis as a woman.

Things start crumbling over Thanksgiving weekend, when Ben finds Wendy and Mikey in a compromising position (which involves a Nixon mask), and Elena figures out the truth about her husband's affair. As an ice storm sweeps over New Canaan, the parents set out to a "key party," all their relationships will reach boiling point -- and a tragedy will strike.

The neighborhood of "The Ice Storm" is not one you'd want to live in -- people talk but rarely speak, have sex but no intimacy, and can't communicate with their own children and spouses. So it's a credit to Ang Lee's directorial skill that he can actually draw you into this story.

And Lee does a really brilliant job of not only illustrating these intertwined, painfully distant relationships, but tying them into the 1970s world. It's like a bunch of beautifully filmed moments strung together -- the kiss in the swimming pool, wintry trysts, biking through the woods, and the awkward Thanksgiving dinner where Wendy goes into a political rant "prayer" at grace.

Lee seems a bit overfond of ice metaphors and dead leaves, to the point of close-ups of ice-cube trays. Really, enough. But his direction is pitch-perfect -- he paints a delicate, lonely, chilly beauty into every corner of the movie. This is especially true in the second half, when we see the spacey Mikey sliding and running in an icy wonderland.

Though it's rather bleak, there are plenty of darkly humorous moments ("Mikey have you heard the explosions coming from the back yard?" "I dunno"). But as the story winds on, dialogue becomes much less important -- there are long silences that tell us much more than words. Sorrow, resentment, pain, anger and indifference are all hinted at without a word.

And the acting is practically perfect all around. Tobey Maguire serves an important function -- he is the "normal" one, an ordinary boy who is hoping to score with a girl. Christina Ricci is excellent as a political nymphet. And Elijah Wood is glorious as Mikey, an endearingly ethereal boy who is obsessed with molecules and squares.

As for the adults, Kevin Kline is amazing as the detached Ben, who discovers the hard way what his selfishness has caused. Weaver and Allen are similarly great as two icy women with warm feelings swimming deep inside, but very different ways of dealing with their unhappy marriages.

The world of "Ice Storm" is a cold, barren one, and I'm not just talking about the late-autumn weather. But Ang Lee gives it a cold, poignant brilliance.

This review refers to the 20th Cent Fox DVD Edition of "The Ice Storm"......

The beauty of Ang Lee's storytelling, is that we never get the same story twice. His films are always a fresh take or a first look at era's past and present. Fresh off his success with "Sense and Sensibility", Lee steps ahead into the turbulent and oft confusing times of the 1970's with "The Ice Storm".The story based on a novel by Rick Moody deals with two upper class suburban families dealing with the changing times and the changes in their lives, all amidst the arrival of a wintry ice storm.He has chosen the perfect cast and adds just the right amount of nuance and subtle comedy to this drama to make it a perfect film.

Ben and Elena Hood(Kevin Kline/Joan Allen) married in the idealistic 50's, now find themselves growing apart and their relationship getting cold as the sexual revolution of the 70's is all around them.Ben growing restless has an affair with the neighbor Janey Carver(Sigourney Weaver), Elena wants to feel the freeness she felt as a young girl. While trying to fit into this new world, they decide to participate in a "Key Party"(who you go home with at the end is anybody's guess).The teenagers(Tobey Maguire, Elijah Wood, Christina Ricci) are also trying their hand at experiencing life so to speak.As the events of the evening unfold, a freakish storm arrives that seems to blow new life into all of them, their lives will be forever changed with the passing of the storm and the dawning of the new day.

Ang Lee captures the mood of the Nixon era expertly. Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver and Joan Allen are perfect in their performances of the dysfunctional adults trying to cope with the times. Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, and Elijah Wood have all surely stepped up their careers from their brilliant portrayals as the precocious but curious kids."The Ice Storm" will take your breath away.

20th Century Fox has made a beautiful transfer to DVD.It is presented in vivid colors and a sharp picture in the original theatrical widescreen(1.85:1).

It's amazing that Oscar missed this little gem, it was just one of those that got lost in the wake of "Titanic" that year(1997). If you have not seen this yet and like a good emotional ride, this film will take you on that ride.And then you'll want to buy another ticket and go again!.......Thanks and enjoy...Laurie