The Ice Harvest: Review By Dodd

There was once a time that I anticipated almost every crime caper movie that was released. Of course, this was at a younger age when I had little recollection of other similar films. The films were packed with twist after twist, and I never saw them coming. It seemed that every flick about getting away with bad deeds and double-crossing partners left me with a feeling of sinful satisfaction.

Today I still look forward crime caper flicks, but not all of them are acceptable anymore. After seeing so many flicks, it is easy to distinguish something original from something desperate and recycled. Let’s take the new Thanksgiving flick The Ice Harvest for example. The trailer? Absolutely promising! Yet another flick about deceit and stealing dirty money. Plus it stars John Cusack and Billy Bob Thorton! How can we go wrong with that? After seeing the finished product I found out…. you can.

Charlie (John Cusack) is an attorney for the mob. We don’t find this out from Charlie, but from his bud Pete (Oliver Platt), a drunken oaf that brags to every person around about who Charlie represents. Charlie represents a Kansas mob kingpin named Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid), a man that apparently controls the entire state.

On Christmas Eve, Charlie decides to give up his profession. He does so by stealing two million dollars from his crooked clients. The plan is for he and his business partner Vic (Billy Bob Thorton) to make away with the money to a far off place before Guerrard even finds out. The two of them are in for a long night when an ice storm hits Wichita. In what is supposed to be a matter of a few easy hours, everything turns into a complicated mess. An intimidating hit man (Mike Starr) comes sniffing around the town for Roy and Charlie. On top of the danger, Charlie finds himself proclaiming love for Renata (Connie Nielsen), a dancer from a strip club that Charlie runs.

The ensemble cast is in place along with a plot device destined to spark greed and murder. This could be the making of a clever, dark comedy, but it only comes up short in the end. The Ice Harvest has the tools to be crafty, but it doesn’t make the proper choices. The screenplay by Richard Russo and Robert Benton is mostly to blame. While most twister flicks as this are filled with debatable plot holes, this is not the problem. I followed the network of characters without any quips or quarrels.

I think one of the biggest pitfalls is predictability. Sometimes a film suffers from this, but is crutched by stellar performances. The actors here are not terrible, but certainly not at their best. At least not enough to rescue this dud. John Cusack does his likeable subtle routine that I came to expect, but if anyone could have saved this project it is Billy Bob Thorton. Unfortunately the actor is greatly underused. Connie Nielsen makes a stretch as a sultry femme fatale, but doesn’t quite hit the point of believability. And I am still trying to figure out why poor Randy Quaid, of all people, was needed to play an intimidating mob boss. I can only assume Chris Walken said no.

The Ice Harvest starts out with potential, but slides into an unnecessary mess. Comedy auteur Harold Ramis tries to break through with a darker streak, but I think the man is better suited for lighter fare. This project is certainly no Groundhog Day. I walked into the theater expecting a brilliant, underrated showcase of sinful glee, but only felt emptiness during the closing credits. The talent involved makes The Ice Harvest seem promising, but this Thanksgiving turkey is worth throwing out. Judging by its low box office numbers, this comedy will be long forgotten by... wait a minute...what the hell is The Ice Harvest?

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com