seymourblack-1 Probably because its style is so low-key, "The Ice Harvest" is one of those movies that doesn't arrive with any high expectations and so makes a big impact when you discover how good it actually is. Its plot about the complications that set in after a seemingly perfectly-executed heist, doesn't sound particularly original (and of course it isn't) but a group of totally untrustworthy characters, a series of neat twists and plenty of dark humour combine together to make this a movie that's hugely enjoyable from start to finish.On Christmas Eve in Wichita, Kansas, mob lawyer Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) and his partner-in-crime Vic Cavanaugh (Billy Bob Thornton) successfully relieve their employer of more than $2 million. Unfortunately, their employer is Kansas City crime boss Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid) who very quickly recognises who was responsible for the theft and dispatches one of his henchmen, Roy Gelles (Mike Starr) to hunt them down. Charlie and Vic's plan to get out of Kansas immediately after the heist has to be put on hold when an ice storm suddenly envelops Wichita and the two men decide to split up until the road conditions improve.Charlie goes to a strip club called "The Sweet Cage" where he meets up with its sexy proprietor, Renata Crest (Connie Neilsen). He's infatuated by her and so when she tells him she wants to recover a photograph of a local councilman pictured in circumstances that could potentially cause him tremendous embarrassment, Charlie agrees to help out. He gets anxious when he twice sees a large man making enquiries about him and so, after recovering the photograph for Renata, goes to a restaurant to warn Vic who seems completely unconcerned. As he starts to leave the restaurant, a member of staff asks Charlie to take his friend Pete (Oliver Platt) home because he's extremely drunk.Pete is married to Charlie's ex-wife and so taking him home leads to an uncomfortable meeting with her, his children and her parents. Later, he takes the photograph to Renata at her club but then has to go on to help Vic when he finally recognises what danger he's in. A whole series of violent developments then follow.Charlie Arglist is an interesting character because his experiences in life have left him world-weary, disillusioned and cynical but despite this, his essential decency leads him into helping others, even when doing so is obviously not in his own best interest. John Cusack's expressions, demeanour and skill in delivering his witty dialogue are very effective in conveying his character's complexities in a way that's both understated and highly entertaining. Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Neilsen are both well-cast in their roles and Oliver Platt is outrageously funny as Charlie's friend who enjoys intoxication because it distracts him from the lack of respect and enjoyment that he derives from the rest of his life."The Ice Harvest" is well-paced, sleazy and often violent but its strongest elements are its interesting characters and its wonderful humour.

secondtake The Ice Harvest (2005)Okay, someone tell me why this movie is worth watching. For the almost flashy sets and groovy lighting? For the couple of great actors in less than stellar performances? For the gaudy violence that is neither plasticky like Tarantino nor hyper-real like Scorsese? All this stuff is here. And if you give a hoot about who kills who, and can keep track of why, then you might think this is passable. It's meant to be a black comedy, but that requires timing and wit, both missing here. It's kind of a Christmas movie, but only incidentally.It starts slow, and then keeps going slow (as you think to yourself it'll pick up soon), then it does pick up with casual murder after casual murder. You don't really worry about who dies or that it's so brutal. Who cares? The main character played by John Cusack is typical Cusack and maybe you'll like him (the actor), but his character is a bore and you don't really care that he's about to get whacked, or almost whacked, in scene after scene. And Billy Bob? Also disappointing (and more of a surprise because he's a great actor).Yeah, I hated this movie. First it made me sleepy (literally) and then it made me bored (but not sleepy just because there was so much fabulous violence).The director here, Harold Ramis, has some dazzling successes to his credit, including "Groundhog Day" and "Caddyshack." The writers are to blame here as well, but one of the screenwriters has a long admirable history, too, going back to "Bonnie and Clyde." So what gives? Bad luck? Lack of money? Conflict of personalities? Who knows!But the sensibility is just out of touch here. I would avoid this one by a mile.

inkslayer It used to be we could rely on comedies to make us laugh comfortably throughout a movie – like Peter Sellers as Chief Inspector Clouseau. Nowadays, comedies are "black", i.e. comedy that employs morbid, gloomy, and grotesque situations in its plot.If you're the type of person who finds the pairing of violence and funny lines acceptable, then watch Ice Harvest. If you find murder and drownings coupled with a funny remark inappropriate, then ignore Russo and Benton's "black farce" in which the plot depends upon exploited situations rather than upon the development of character. Because in real life how funny is it to shove someone's dead wife into icy waters along with her drowning husband? It appears that John Cusack is getting into the habit of picking movies that don't accentuate his positives. Be-that-as-it-may, he plays Wichita Kansas mob lawyer, Charlie Arglist,who steals over 2 million dollars from his boss, played by Randy Quaid. Charlie enlists his friend "Vic" (Billy Bob Thornton) to hold the money. An ice storm keeps them at bay – yet to this viewer it looks like hardly any ice or snow is on the streets. As far as the rest of the plot, the little baby twists and turns in Ice Harvest are sophomoric.On the plus-side is Oliver Platt who plays Charlie's buddy, Pete. Platt applies admirable comedic timing. The negative is Connie Nielsen who plays strip club owner Renata. She sounds too much like a Kathleen Turner wannabe; which is distracting to her character.One problem I had was when Sydney tells Charlie that his mother failed to report there was no gas in the RV before giving it to him. Doesn't Sydney check gas gauges? Especially before piling the kids in for a long road-trip?

Samiam3 It is wrong to label The Ice Harvest as a Comedy, maybe that is what the studio wanted it to be. It has its funny bits, but The Ice Harvest is more of a neo-noir. Either way, it's watchable but not that enriching.There is nothing original or clever about this story, except for the paradox of the setting. The Ice Harvest is a cold, dark tale set during the most bright and jolly of times. Of course I am talking about Christmas. It is sort of difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that makes The Ice Harvest watchable when considering that the whole thing is pretty dull. Perhaps it is the fact that just occasionally the story does something random and amusing, but it never amounts to much.There is a certain dose of Fargo to the movie. When it begins in Witchita, Kansas on Chrismas Eve, locally renowned lawyer Charlie Arglist and his partner have stolen two and a half million dollars. Now it is just a matter of being patient for a few hours as they figure out how to blow town. In the middle of this is the archetypal 'femme fatale' played by Connie Neilson as the owner of a strip club who wants something from Charlie. I think The Ice Harvest acknowledges that it is derivative, which is why it tries to be amusing every now and then, but It is not half as funny as it should be. If you want a good crime movie with a better sense of humour, try Bandits.