ICEBERG (NEW DIRECTORS/NEW FILMS)

L'Iceberg

Fiona Gordon as Fiona in
L'Iceberg,
Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon
and Bruno Romy, Belgium,
2005; 84 min.

       L'Iceberg (Iceberg) proves that slapstick can still work in feature
films, although in this case, it's a little of too much of a good thing.

       The film starts of promisingly as Fiona (Fiona Gordon), the operator
of a fast food joint in Brussels accidentally gets locked into a walk-in
freezer at her restaurant. Gordon, who resembles a cross between
Frances de la Tour and Tilda Swinton, is hilarious as she becomes
trapped, calling to mind an old I Love Lucy episode. What upsets her
most, however, is that her husband Julien (Dominique Abel) and their
two children don't even notice she has been gone all night.

       Gradually, like a woman possessed, Fiona becomes obsessed
with all things cold. She moves from building tiny icebergs in her
refrigerator to finding excuses to hang out in the walk-in freezer at
the restaurant. On a whim, she climbs into the back of a refrigerated
truck and heads off on an adventure that leads her to a small coastal
town. There she encounters a deaf sailor (Philippe Martz) on whom
she develops a crush. He's the captain of a sailboat named Le Titanique.
Eventually, Fiona runs off with the sailor, only to be chased by Julien,
enhanced by much physical comedy.

       There are some set pieces that are amusing and enjoyable.
L'Iceberg feels like a throwback to the silent comedies of Keaton or Lloyd
but with a distinctly Gallic flavor.

       Admittedly, some of the humor doesn't translate well, and the
performers tend to carry on too long in some scenes. Once the
action shifts to the boat, there's only so much that can be done,
given the confines of space.

       L'Iceberg delivers laughs, though, and for that it is entirely
welcome.

                                              Rating:           B+