Deadfall

It's somewhat of a surprise that DEADFALL is such a good, strong, compact pulp thriller. Austrian director Stefan Ruzowitzky won an Oscar for his overrated WWII movie The Counterfeiters and was responsible for another, very bad one, All the Queen's Men. But Ruzowitzky's filmmaking is much clearer and more confident in this terrain, using the snow and cold for maximum effect, both in separating characters and bringing them closer together.

The ensemble cast is well balanced, and the complex, nuanced relationships between families build many fascinating layers. In fact, certain plot threads -- such as Jay's accidental murder victim -- are all but dropped in favor of further character development, which is actually refreshing. Addison's extreme brutality makes the mix a bit too top heavy at times, but his early moments with Liza also go a long way in establishing his place. It's this excellent character balance that makes Deadfall so compelling.