In Frozen River (2008), Courtney Hunt tells the story of a poor white mother of two, Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo), who collaborates with by chance with a Mohawk Indian mother named Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham), in smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States from Canada across the frozen river (St. Lawrence River) - the border. The author of the New York Times article rightly states that Hunt's film “evokes a perfect storm of current evils: illegal immigration, ethnic tensions, failing real estate, high gas prices and extreme poverty” (Holden). Frozen River opens with a shot of wide stretches of frozen river. This is part of Courtney Hunt's staging. By repeating this motif at different times throughout the film, he wants to convey the idea of ​​living on "thin ice". Based on an article from The Guardian; “The frozen St. Lawrence River represents both the opportunity to make quick money and the risk of disaster” (French). The film is rare in its genre because it does not use sentimentality in conveying its message. Despite this, it still manages to find a balance between desperation and hope through the implicit portrayal of motherhood, sacrifice and hope for humanity. One of the very first scenes in the film is when Ray sits barefoot in a car in front of him. of his house, smokes a cigarette and cries, after finding an empty glove compartment, where he had kept his savings for the down payment on his "dream house". It's a very long, slow close-up, first focusing on the woman's feet and then slowly moving up to show the details of her face. This close-up of Ray's face is repeated in several scenes throughout the film, allowing viewers to clearly see his fight for life on his face. Ray, working on... middle of the paper... suspenseful. As previously stated, Frozen River is unique in its almost complete lack of (French) “rhetoric or sentimentality.” This is one of the most important features, which significantly distinguishes this film from overly sentimental and overly romanticized Hollywood films.Works CitedFrench, Philip. "Movie Review: Frozen River | Film | The Observer." Latest news, sport and commentary from the Guardian | The Guardian. Network. November 14, 2011..Film “Frozen River” by Courtney HuntHolden, Stephen. “Smuggling is only a few days away before Christmas? It's Not a Wonderful Life - NYTimes.com. Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times - The New York Times. 01 August 2008. Web. 13 November. 2011..