While anger and frustration are the initial go-to reactions domestically, eventually there’s a realization to seek treatment — although Jaime King, the other big name in the production, doesn’t at first look like the professional they’d seek, judging from earlier roles by the former model. Largely, she quizzes her patients on memory and points to more rigorous treatment sites as the situation worsens.
Because it’s based on a true story, it saves us from her becoming a mass murderer or other kind of monster, and allows some understanding sympathy to the malady and those who have to deal with it, either directly or in the family.
The apparent full length feature directorial debut of Drew Pollins, who previously turned out several short films, frames the story with scenes of the young couple first meeting, which has its touching moments, but mostly involves the least experienced actors (Garrett Mercer and Andrea Londo) in somewhat cloying scenes that stretch a little long.
While Avery Holliday’s handheld cinematography in these scenes are a little jarring, more subtle is how Ferri’s character slowly goes out of focus toward the end.
Ice Cream in the Cupboard has a couple of surprises in its casting that include Mathew St. Patrick of Six Feet Under as a doctor, and the ever-irascible Tobin Bell — Jigsaw from from the Saw movies — as a grandfather.
In a laudable adherence to reality, the film doesn’t reach for any magic resolution at its end.
But by doing so, it unfortunately enlarges the mystery of the three words the fading wife will use to remember her loving husband. It ain’t “Rosebud.”
“Ice Cream in the Cupboard” is available on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, YouTube, VuDu, Vimeo On Demand, Microsoft XBOX and Fandango NOW.
With this posting, I begin a series of occasional film reviews of independent releases publicized through the filmmaker website Bunker15.