Cold Weather

(USA, 2009, 96 mins)

Executive Producer: Jack Turner
Producers: Brendan McFadden, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Ben Stambler
Screenwriter: Aaron Katz
Cinematographer: Andrew Reed
Editor: Aaron Katz
Cast: Cris Lankenau, Trieste Kelly Dunn, Raúl Castillo, Robyn Rikoon
Music: Keegan DeWitt

A self-styled Sherlock Holmes leads an unlikely team of irregulars in this charming comic mystery from indie auteur Aaron Katz.

After abandoning a promising academic career in forensic science, aimless Doug returns to Portland to live with his more responsible big sister Gail. He quickly lands a dead-end job in an ice factory, but his latent passion for detective work is stoked when his ex-girlfriend goes missing. Armed with a handful of arcane clues, Doug enlists Gail and co-worker Carlos in a ramshackle investigation that draws the slacker sleuths into Portland’s not-quite-seedy underground.

Building on the lyrical style and naturalistic performances of his two previous features, Dance Party USA and Quiet City, Katz offers a refreshingly idiosyncratic spin on genre conventions. He eschews the twisty plots and violence of modern neo-noir in favor of sly, deadpan humor and closely-observed performances. Cold Weather may feature a few car chases and stake outs, but ultimately it is less interested in the chilly mechanics of genre than in the warm bond between friends and family.

Matt Cornell

Expected to attend: Aaron Katz.

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