A funny thing happens when watching The Iceman. Despite the excellent acting, the decent writing, the fairly interesting story and the way the film very much looks and feels like its time period, the viewer may find themselves not caring. It is peculiar because there is nothing whatever wrong with the film.

The film is based on the true story of contract killer, Richard Kuklinski. He was not only a prolific hit man but seems to have been a serial killer even before he was being paid for it. It is great when you can get paid for your hobby! Kuklinski also was a family man and his family was unaware of his profession. Keep in mind, this is not some gangster hijacking trucks, running a casino or running drugs.  This is the guy the other gangsters call when someone needs to die. It is said he killed a hundred men. But he wouldn’t kill women or children.

Kuklinski is played by Michael Shannon who, as usual, shows him to be amongst the best actors around today. An Oscar is in his future if his career trajectory keeps him getting plum roles. It will not be for a film like this one—the Academy doesn’t hand out awards for playing laconic characters in small movies but after this? And Superman? And Boardwalk Empire? And Take Shelter? I predict a role that leads to a nomination is coming. Shannon is great in the role, throughout the movie he seems to be ready to explode (and he does on occasion). He seethes his way through this movie as a man who isn’t really conflicted but who seems to want to be normal, even though he isn’t. He pauses before killing one victim, sits down and gives him a chance to pray so he can see if God will save him. That is about as cold as it gets.

The rest of this cast? They are all great. Some, like Stephen Dorff appear for one scene. Others, like Chris Evans (Captain America himself) appear throughout the movie. Evans is not recognizable. He is a mangy, long haired killer with an ice cream truck. Also close to unrecognizable (and quite believable) as a sort of dumb-ass, low end gangster is David Schwimmer. It must be pretty welcome for Schwimmer to escape into a world where he gets to shoot and rob.

Others on board are more at home in gangster movies. Ray Liotta could play his role in his sleep. Not disparaging but who else has been in as many gangster movies? DeNiro?  Lower profile but likewise often cast as gangsters or cops are John Ventimiglia and the venerable Robert Davi.

Winona Ryder is also excellent as Kuklinski’s wife. There is a great scene with her and Shannon when his character’s two worlds collide. You see in that scene as well as in the film’s opening scene how a woman could fall for such a man. He seems positively mild mannered in most of his interactions with her. When he starts behaving oddly she fears he may have been laid off. In a sense he was but not from the job she thinks.

So why might viewers find themselves not caring?

It is because the past forty years may well have beaten us up with mobster movies. There have been realistic films like Donnie Brasco; there have been the idealized mobsters of The Godfather films. There have been good films, bad films, television, parodies and more. Maybe just the whole genre needs a rest? You cannot say much bad about The Iceman.There are a few hiccups but it is a pretty good film. It just happens to be part of a genre that is in need of a reboot, or an enema.

Pain & Gain is based on a true story. Usually a film has to add some weirdness, some drama, to a crime story. In this case? They didn't. Considering the vaguely horrific nature of the real events some may have been shocked to learn that the film is a comedy (albeit, a dark comedy).

More shocking than making this dark, disturbing, bizarre crime into a comedy is that the director is Michael Bay and that the result is reminiscent of the Cohen brothers. Yes, you just read a comparison of the Cohen brothers and Michael Bay. It is a funny film but it has some very serious undercurrents that flow, consistently, throughout.

This is the best film Bay ever directed--by far.

It takes a bizarre and vicious crime and finds humor in it--and of course people found humor in it at the time? There are weightlifters, shady money men, pornographers and barbecued body parts involved. AND it took place in Miami which means it was probably only in the top five weird crimes of the year.

The film does more than find humor in the darkness--it manages to also be a multifaceted morality tale. The victim's problems begin because of his great personal flaw (he is a jerk). The three partners in crime want an easy payday.  They are jealous of the wealth they see daily in their clients. They are willing to work but they overvalue themselves and take short cuts that lead to their doom.

Virtually every character introduced could be in a medieval morality play. They are all flawed and their flaws lead to disasters on varying levels. The only exception here is the moral center of the movie--a retired detective played by Ed Harris. Harris, content in his life, does not strive, does not run afoul of The Furies that inhabit the film.

The acting in the film is over the top when it needs to be and it often needs to be, especially from Tony Shalhoub as the victim. It can also be more restrained when it needs to be both by Shalhoub and Harris. Duane Johnson as an ex-con, ex-addict who found religion but is lured back to the dark side is especially good here. There are so many important roles that are just a hair more than cameos: Rob Corddry, Ken Jeong and the wonderful Rebel Wilson all help to elevate the film.

The grisliness and the sheer stupidity of everything that happens might fall flat if the audience didn't walk in knowing this is a more or less true story. Not everyone who sees this will delve deep enough to see the morality play here and there is no reason they should. The film works perfectly fine if the viewer only cares to see the surface.

It isn't uproarious or obvious but it works as a straight up comedy. Michael Bay has done himself proud. Let us hope his next film is a smart comedy with no buddies, no robots and no explosions.