Black ice

Frozen River

Crit

In Bush's America, the American Dream has become a new doublewide trailer with a Jacuzzi to replace the decaying singlewide that Ray (the magnificent Melissa Leo) and her two boys live in. But her compulsive gambler of a husband has run off with the balloon payment for the new home, so becomes first a reluctant, then a relentless partner in the alien-smuggling business of a young Mohawk Indian (Misty Upham) who has family issues of her own. As to the Chinese Dream of those being smuggled in, shackled by five-figure debts to their snakeheads, see Take Out.

A remarkable debut for writer-director Courtney Hunt, who keeps the moral and legal issues in play throughout, while making it clear that the imperative of keeping alive the dream trumps all other considerations. Kudos also to Charlie McDermott, who plays Ray's teenage son, a psychic open sore.

Trailers

• Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (I served the king of England)--Looks like one of those memories-of-when-I-was-young-and-didn't-understand-what-was-important films; Czech.
• The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas--Germans speaking with inexplicable English accents, son of Nazi commandant making friends with concentration camp inmate his age. Looks gooey.
• Morning Light--Can you say "self-congratulation," Mickey? Roy E. Disney exec produced this Disney documentary about a bunch of inexperienced sailors given the chance of a lifetime to take a 52-foot sloop from Australia to Hawaii. Their sponsor? Why, Roy E. Disney, coincidentally enough!