So laid back it almost seems merely like a slice of real life ... until a mysterious disappearance in Portland jars an ex- forensics student out of his self- induced doldrums and onto the case. The result is a heightened suspense factor in this clever slacker take on the film noir detective genre that's difference makes for a matter of taste.

Sometimes when you are viewing a film, it seems like you are a fly on the wall, witnessing the events as they naturally occur. This can be a definite plus, as it shows how seamlessly actors can suspend the wall between the screen and the viewer, but it can also be a deterrent, as in the case of Cold Weather, the events are so natural and seem so mundane that instead of being real, it becomes almost surreal. Fortunately for me, I had forgotten why I wanted to view this film, other than that Ebert had recommended it. So I had no preconceptions going in, other than the short synopsis that Direct TV gives its films ("a comedy/mystery" now there's a novel concept). The beauty of this film is that, yes, there is a mystery - and I'm not going to say what it is - only that said mystery only begins to unfold half way through the films 100 minute run time. In the meantime you get to know the main characters, by witnessing how they go about their everyday lives. It's reality TV, only it's REAL, not some jumped up, look at me, BS, but actual, understated, this is my daily/weekly routine kind of stuff. Boring? Perhaps, and you keep wondering where the film is headed; but there's a point to it all - giving the film a very quirky tone that is yet another double edged sword - serving it well, but perhaps being too understated for its own good. It's hard to decide. As the film abruptly ended (literally) - I sat and thought for several minutes - yeah, it all worked, the tone, the fabulous "non-acting" of the actors... and yet does an Indie film have to scream Indie at the top of its lungs? In all, the characters are all believable, just regular folks, and there are so many subtle moments where the film seems just right, that I found this a refreshing trip away from Hollywood - note the fact that there is a chase scene ... involving only one car! Said scene, and the setup behind it are perfect examples of "what would you do?" Probably the same things these "regular" folks did - and that's the beauty of it... although the film's abrupt end, while I understood it, left me wanting some kind of resolution - see, I'm brainwashed by Hollywood after all.