Mumblecore, the genre, when articulated well takes care in expressing the importance of a shared understanding of language between individuals and it’s ability in shaping lives and relationships. Often what is taken on face value for an ‘um’ or an ‘ah’ is in fact the character searching for a way to understand and be understood.
In Aaron Katz’s latest offering Cold Weather, we are exposed to something like the maturing of the Mumblecore aesthetic and the grafting of its aesthetics onto another genre: the detective story.
Doug, recently returned home to his native Portland after dropping out of his forensic science course, has crashed at his sister Gail’s new apartment and is at something of a loose end. But optimistically something will come along: it does in the unlikely form of a working night’s at an ice factory and a chance meeting and shared experience at a bus stop leads to the forming a friendship with a colleague. At this time Doug’s ex hits town on a work placement and the mingling of the four sets the tone for a group drama piece.
Relationships and shared experiences start to form between all four characters where social tangents and the power of words are exposed. The first act of Cold Weather is by the book Mumblecore with some beautifully observed and shot scenes and a colour palate that soaks up autumn’s dampness.
The second act is where things change and the film takes a new a strange twist with the disappearance of Doug’s ex and so begins a code breaking investigation into what happened and the adoption of a slacker’s Sherlock Holmes pipe to boot. Revealing any more would spoil, but this is a fresh take on the detective story that stays true to its Mumblecore roots by dispensing with sharp, tough and witty dialogue from the Marlow school of detection. And the ending, well that will leave you guessing.
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