The Ice Harvest

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A.L.Jude P It is a story with icy calm humor, somewhat tragic end. But the movies is sadly indurated. It deserves 8 Stars. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/07/23 Full Review Jithin K It's enjoyable in parts, and the cast is great to watch, but it feels like an episode from a show that has better to offer. It feels like there are a lot of things missing here. Connie Nielsen's character could have been even more intriguing but they must have thought the mystery better. There are a lot of places that could have been helped with a bit more brevity than it had. It feels like the film could have worked if it was a more laugh-out-loud comedy with crime elements than the simpler, almost dead-pan kind they were going for. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/24/23 Full Review matthew d Frostbitten nihilism in Harold Ramis' cold slow burn black crime comedy. Director Harold Ramis' neo-noir black comedy The Ice Harvest (2005) is outstanding. It has all the visual hallmarks of a neo-noir film and works best as a serious crime drama more than a decently funny black comedy honestly. Ramis lets the heavy rainfall, brisk icy winds, and freezing cold atmosphere enshroud his shadowy neo-noir style as director. The Ice Harvest feels cold in its slow burn pacing and deliberately standoffish anti-heroes. The Ice Harvest is similar to Killing Them Softly or Mikey & Nicky with a Fargo feel. It feels sleazy, seedy, gritty, and grim with a bleak outlook and morbid sense of humor. Ramis gets the strip clubs should feel sleazy and sexist, while the family houses should feel cozy for Christmas occurring in the backdrop of The Ice Harvest. I like how Harold Ramis ends things on an upbeat note after all the darkness and black comedy. All beautifully shot by cinematographer Alar Kivilo in the suburbs of Chicago, supposed to be desolate and depressing Kansas. It feels dark with The Ice Harvest all basically taking place over one miserable night of pain and mistakes. Ramis' use of dark shadowy streets at night with Kivilo's striking wide shots and gripping close-ups is really something special. Lee Percy's editing feels purposefully slowly cut for such a short 88 minutes, I was enthralled by his slick cutting choices within scenes. Robert Benton (Kramer vs. Kramer) and Richard Russo's script is smart, funny, and dark enough to feel serious at all times until there's a burst of laughter as they cleverly adapt Scott Phillips' novel. John Cusack is quite funny and understated as the cool and miserable mob lawyer Charlie Arglist. Cusack understands how to act with a subtle seriousness that can also be funny in his stunned reactions to the awful things happening to Charlie on this night. He's touching as Charlie, who is down in the dumps. Billy Bob Thornton's selfish thief Vic is hilarious opposite Cusack with his needless cruelty and violence. Connie Nielsen is gorgeous as The Ice Harvest's sultry femme fatale Renata Crest. She is captivating with every smoky gaze or deeply felt line delivery. Randy Quaid shows up at the end of The Ice Harvest as the mob boss villain Bill Guerrard for a creepy, sleazy, and frightening short appearance. Oliver Platt is a riot as the disgusting alcoholic friend Pete Van Heuten. His portrayal of a raving drunk feels pretty realistic. Mike Starr's mob henchman Roy Gelles is great in his supporting role. Ned Bellamy's raging strip club bartender Sidney is hilarious and a great character. T.J. Jagodowski's friendly police officer Officer Tyler gets funnier every time he appears during his nightly rounds. Production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein creates dingy strip clubs, desolate bars, comfy family homes, and sparse chic modern abodes for that chilling gritty feel Harold Ramis is going for in The Ice Harvest. Gary Baugh's art direction is neat with lone characters wandering at night after a robbery covered in shadows and streetlights. Tricia Schneider's set decoration makes each place look lived in and raw. Composer David Kitay's dark and moody film score is pretty and melodic with a drawn out menace. Sound designers Paul Hsu, Ron Bochar, Michael Barry, and Scott D. Smith emphasizes each scream or gunshot against quiet ambiance during this long night. I loved costume designer Susan Kaufmann and Jennifer Jobst's outfits. Putting John Cusack in an all black suit with a red tie brought me back to Cusack's ultra cool look in Grosse Pointe Blank. In all, The Ice Harvest is awesome and a neat surprise. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Serge L Very well done film noir that is silly and funny at times. It has a real feel and is adult. The characters are well camped and unique. The story has proper enigma and twists. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/22 Full Review Chuck P Great performances make this neo-noir comedy thriller a must-try for Cusack and Oliver Platt fans. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/25/21 Full Review Audience Member Just an unclear, unfocused, mess of a movie despite the names involved. I don't know what else to say about this. It may have felt underwhelming if I saw it around the time it was released, but since I didn't hear of it until fifteen years after it's release I wasn't expecting much so how could it underwhelm? There's professionalism in it, there's craftsmanship, there's decent acting but... that's about it. 2 of 5 Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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