Me-Mini Movie Reviews: The Ice Harvest

Finally got to see the movie The Ice Harvest. Featuring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Connie Nielsen, it’s a pretty good movie in the vein of classic film noirs with an edge of a dark comedy. The story revolves around a lawyer trying to swindle 2 million from the mob he works for and get out of Wichita Falls on an icy Christmas Eve. There are wacky moments, serious moments, and some truly funny moments too – if you have a dark sense of humor. It’s a little slow at the beginning, but if you stick with it, the story and characters become more intriguing and you wonder how it’s all going to end. The DVD contains 2 alternate endings, which would have given the whole thing a much different feel. They chose the lesser ‘pure noir’ ending of the three, but I think in this case, it works. Plus, they get kudos from me for rolling into the credits with a Peter Wolf version of one of my favorite Patty Loveless songs, “Nothin’ But The Wheel.” Hadn’t heard that song in a while – nice to see it used so well to wrap up a movie. This is one soundtrack that goes on my CD wishlist. Verdict: Recommended. (Especially for noir or dark comedy fans. Plus, you can never go wrong with a John Cusack flick.) MPAA Rating: R.