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I had heard this movie described as a black comedy by some. And when one thinks of Harold Ramis, they think of his ingenious work as a director of comedies. But this is a different Harold Ramis. What he has fashioned is "film noir" all the way.

John Cusack works perfectly with the material, not so much in a Humphrey Bogart kind of way as in a Fred MacMurray sort of way. He's the average guy protagonist. He just happens to be a Witchita attorney for a Kansas City political boss.

The film begins when Charlie Arglist (Cusack), with over two million in stolen cash, jumps into the car with partner-in-crime Vic Cavanaugh (Billy Bob Thornton). Throughout the evening Charlie encounters strip club owner Renata (Connie Nielsen) and drunken colleague Pete Van Heuten (Oliver Platt, his fist scene-stealer in a number of years).

The character of Pete offers some great comic relief to the story. He's Charlie's best friend, drunk on Christmas Eve. He's also married to Charlie's ex-wife, and hating it. This leads to an awkward encounter with Charlie's kids and former in-laws.

Thornton is still finding new ways of being corrupt and amoral. Connie Nielsen is a classic femme fatal in the 1940s style. Mike Starr is good as usual, playing a menacing mob enforcer. Randy Quaid does his usual best as Kansas City mobster Bill Guerarrd. And bit player Ned Bellamy, cast as a strip club bouncer with Mom issues adds some fine scenes.

This is about the most straight-forward "noir" I've seen since Lawrence Kasdan's "Body Heat," but as directed by Ramis, it feels slightly like a Coen brothers movie, with the occasional comic twists to the genre, and the casting choices of Thornton ("The Man Who Wasn't There") and Starr ("Miller's Crossing").

It's not the best movie of the year. But it's good for people who aren't so anxious for a "white" Christmas.

There's something about a dark, violent and offensive Christmas movie that sends me through the roof. I loved 'Bad Santa' and 'Die Hard' is my second favorite Christmas film (if you can call it that, I can) of all time. 'The Ice Harvest' looked very entertaining from it's previews and starred a talented group of actors including John Cusack (Grosse Point Blank), Billy Bob Thorton (Bad Santa), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator), the hilarious Randy Quaid (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) and the even more hilarious Oliver Platt (Showtime's 'Huff'). 'The Ice Harvest' was even directed by the great Harold Ramis (Caddyshack, Groundhog's Day). Yes, 'The Ice Harvest' had all ingredients to be a very decent black Christmas movie. In the first fifteen minutes of 'The Ice Harvest' I was sorely disappointed in it's quality, but by twenty-five minutes in, I enjoyed every dark minute. It is by far the most twisted Holiday movie I've seen (dark sh*t, real dark sh*t), but I was enthralled through the lot of it.

'The Ice Harvest' is based on the not-so-well-known novel. It follows big-time dead-beat dad mob lawyer, Charlie Aglist (John Cusack). Charlie decides he wants to make it big so with the help of a local Witchita goon, Vic Cavanaugh (Billy Bob Thorton) he rips off his violent mob boss client, Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid). This all happens on Christmas Eve day, and he and Vic leave Witicha that night. All they have to do is act normal for 24 hours -- that turns to DISASTER! The two somehow get pursued by the mob, deal with a perky but wise bad-ass business lady Renita (Connie Nielsen), get the cops involved and somehow manage to get Charlie's ex-wife's new drunken dipsh*t husband, Pete (Oliver Platt) involved. It's going to be one hell of a night!

Like I said before, 'The Ice Harvest' is very slow during the start but really speeds up twenty - thirty minutes into it. The writing is solid for the most part (some of it is unbelievable), but the reason I liked it so much was because it was unpredictable. In the theater, I honestly had no clue what was going to happen next, and that is damn hard to find in a film now days. Harold Ramis does another great job directing this, and the cast is fabulous. Cusack and Thorton shine in their roles, Quaid is surprisingly perfect as a cutthroat mobster, Connie Nielsen handles her role okay for the most part, but the real stand-out is Oliver Platt. Platt is absolutely hysterical every second he is on the screen including a hilarious scene with him showing up drunk at his uptight parents-in-law's house for Christmas Eve dinner. 'The Ice Harvest' is enjoyable but it is nothing brilliant. It has it's flaws and displays them, but 'The Ice Harvest' wasn't meant to be groundbreaking, just entertaining (which it wildly succeeds in).

I was surprised to hear this was doing terrible in the box office. I think a lot of people would get a kick out of it, at least those who had the stomach for it. 'The Ice Harvest' is very violent, dark and sick and some of the more conservative and weak-hearted movie goers will find it's material offensive and pure rubbish. I personally loved it because it was sick and unpredictable. It was no Oscar contender, but it kept me on the edge of my seat. I haven't been on the edge of my seat in a movie theater in a long time. Thank you for another fun and quirky black comedy, Harold Ramis. Grade: B (screened at AMC Deer Valley 30, Phoenix, Arizona, 12/02/05)

I wasn't surprised when the movie did poorly at the box office. Not because it's a bad movie, but because it's a very dark comedy. And let's face it, dark comedies don't usually make good business. We are living in a politically correct day and age, when it's not OK to laugh at movies like these. But I happen to have a dark sense of humor and enjoyed the film quite a bit. It's definitely a departure for Harold Ramis, who usually directs much lighter comedies (i.e.: "Caddyshack," "Groundhog Day"). Even though the "Analyze This" films were about the mafia, I wouldn't go as far as calling them "dark comedies." "The Ice Harvest" is at times a bit too low-key, but those who don't have the attention span of a three-year-old shouldn't mind. This is definitely not a comedy with plenty of huge, broad sight gags, and I liked it that way. The jokes were more subtle. Ramis also did a fine job at assembling his cast. John Cusack carries the film, and probably gives one of his best performances. Unfortunately, Billy Bob Thornton has a pretty small role, but he makes good use of his screen time. And since Cusack and Thornton starred in "Pushing Tin" together, their chemistry is good. Oliver Platt steals the show as his drunken character, bringing out probably the biggest laughs. I hate how acting teachers believe that for people to act drunk, they have to be very subtle. Take it from a guy who's been drunk quite a few times--Platt's performance is shockingly accurate. Part of what made me laugh so hard was that some of his behavior would remind me of me when I'm drunk, or how I see some of my friends act when they're drunk. So as a message to all you acting teachers reading this: Either you're a pompous a** or you just hang out with some really boring friends. Yes, people really do stumble around and slur their words when they're drunk. Almost the whole movie takes place in a strip club, so if you're a heterosexual guy like me, you'll have some good eye candy throughout. So if the combination of good acting, naked strippers and dark humor appeals to you--"The Ice Harvest" is the film to see.

I went to see a preview of The Ice Harvest last night, and knew nothing about the movie except for the stars John Cusak, (who I like very much) and Billy Bob Thorton. Well the acting by John Cusak was very good, and Billy Bob's role was nothing out of the ordinary. The surprise of the movie was Oliver Platt who was outstanding in his comedic role. I think the story was a weak one, continuing the slide of the writers in Hollywood now a days. With this movie I would suggest that you save the price of admission and wait to rent the DVD when it comes out and it should be soon. No wonder the movie revenue is down this year with the assortment of movies being turned out these days. What has happened to quality movies?????????

"The Ice Harvest" is a decent enough Film Noir. It's very dark, violent, and sexy. However, the advertisements had me believing it was going to be a comedy.

The advertisements state it is from the director of "Groundshog Day" and show almost all the funny moments of the film. Except for those few moments, "The Ice Harvest" is very droll.

It's probably best to not know what the film is really about because it's better to leave it as a surprise. Suffice it to say that like all modern Film Noir, there is plenty of violence, nudity, and obscene language.

For me, the best thing about the film was the photography and lighting. They do an excellent job of evoking the Noir world. The music could have been better. All the actors were good. This is not anything like any other Harold Ramis film.

If you are looking for a real funny Film Noir, go see "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." If you are a big Film Noir fan and go because you like the look and the atmosphere of Film Noir, "The Ice Harvest" should fit the bill.

While I was never bored by this film, ultimately it failed to come together in any kind of a compelling fashion. Basically, it's a heist comedy with some really rough dialog and violence added in to make the whole thing seem important or heavy. Despite all the blood and so forth, it ends up being a rather silly buddy comedy. John Cusack fails to give a performance that would generate any great interest or sympathy, and Oliver Platt gives a performance that is awful, studied, and unfunny, pretty much ruining any chance of the film being particularly good. The writing is enough to betray Lara Phillips and Billy Bob Thornton (who seems to do every caper film these days, good or bad) without any help from the actors, because their characters are completely predictable.

I have little else to say here about it. I would have rated it even lower, but I really enjoyed the brief scene with Randy Quaid as a menacing mobster who feels like a loser. He had more character in that 5 minute scene than anybody else in the movie did with much more time. This movie really offers no surprises, and would probably only please someone who had very little experience with caper films. It's like the sickly cousin of "Fargo." Avoid it unless you are a John Cusack completist.

This movie is pretty funny, as I have always been a fan of the main actors in this movie (Billy Bob Thornton, John Cusack and Oliver Platt). It also features the beautiful Connie Nielson. This is a crime dramedy, about a plan to steal 2 million dollars. It is a good adult comedy that has a fairly interesting story. I also really enjoy Harold Ramis's comedies, writing or directing, Groundhog Day and Bedazzled are 2 of my favorite romantic comedies, and Caddyshack, Stripes, and Ghostbusters are just classic. I had fun as the dialogue is great and I always enjoy Cusack's brand of humor. One amusing line from Thornton was "Your dead, don't just stand there pretending you're not".

It is a fairly dark comedy, that is more of a dramedy. It leans on the Christmas theme throughout, but not too much. It is set on Christmas eve after all. Oliver Platt is funny as the drunk buddy, and Billy Bob is always good when he is getting jerky and angry. There are underlying themes of trust and infidelity that run through the movie as well. There is a few good twists that will keep you interested. A brief movie at just over 80 minutes before the end credits roll, you should have no problem getting through this dark story. Overall a funny Cusack vehicle that will appeal more to fans of his than not. I have always enjoyed him and this stands as one of his better 00's offerings, though there were better. Call me crazy, but my preferred Cusack Christmas movie is Serendipity.

I can't believe that Richard Russo and Robert Benton penned this screenplay. Maybe their script was much better than the final product. Because Harold Ramis completely botches this film, not knowing whether he wants to make a comedy, black comedy, straight noir or comedic noir. He tries them all and fails miserably.

I'm not averse to anti-holiday films. I rather enjoy them, if they're done well. But to compare "The Ice Harvest" to, say, "Bad Santa," is akin to comparing my stick-figure doodles to a Van Gogh.

The film never is able to strike the right mood. The plot actually had potential and I always enjoy watching Connie Nielsen. Though, if you want to see what a tremendous actress she really is, avoid this piece of crap and rent the Danish film, "Brothers" (2004). Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Ramis tries very hard to find a happy medium between straight noir and dark comedy. Trouble is, even dark comedy needs to be funny. And with the exception of a broadly-played performance by Oliver Platt - he does have one very funny line delivered perfectly - none of the characters is able to find the humor beneath all this.

Cusack seems woefully out of place, probably desperately wishing he were in something as funny as "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997) or as sinister as "The Grifters" (1990). His shtick gets tiresome after a few minutes and even Nielsen's sultry femme fatale (she does look awfully good, I must admit) can't rescue this film.

Ramis really does seem out of his league here. He's trying to venture into Stephen Frears or John Dahl country here and that's not his place. His direction is tepid at best; the film's pacing is terribly choppy - the story drags when it should get tight and twisty.

I was looking forward to seeing this film after watching the trailers. Too bad, the film never lived up to its potential. A funny, albeit dark, noir could have worked. But these chaps just didn't know how to pull one off.

The Ice Harvest is attractive to two audiences, those being the film noir and/or crime fans and the people who think a movie with Cusack and Thornton directed by ex-Ghostbuster Ramis is going to be a mishap-riddled caper comedy. Unfortunately, this film's heart lies outside of the compatibility of either. It's technically not a crime film, because the story begins immediately as the crime ends, a $2 million embezzlement scheme that is never explained. Also, the film is certainly not a comedy within the ballpark of any other work by Harold Ramis. What Ramis has made is a film that is more of a dramatic exercise in cinematic mood and low-key atmosphere. The good news is that he pulls it off very well.

The Ice Harvest happens to be one of the movies I watch at Christmastime, because the film is actually so well-directed and so well-shot that it captures that constantly sought-after perfect cozy winter atmosphere on film. The events of the story occur over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, all in the small and quiet town of Wichita, KA. No matter how much time it spends during the outlandish drunken bouts of Oliver Platt or the destructive tantrums of Ned Bellamy's overaggressive bartender, The Ice Harvest never breaks its meticulous feeling and image for one moment.

Even though it's not what is expected by the vast majority of those who have seen it or those who mean to, it does have impressionistic characteristics of those expectations that deliver sensationally, such as Thornton's tremendously entertaining time on screen and the thicket of distrust that ushers in over the course of the holidays succeeding his and Cusack's so-called perfect crime. However, these are purely part of the style rather than the substance. The plot is conjecture of film noir rather than the real deal, as most of the twists are nearly meant to be somewhat obvious or expected. Really, the essence of the story lies in Cusack's descent into complete detachment from any virtue in life, feeling as if he's only an observer when encountering darkly humorous yet brooding things over his Christmas.

The Ice Harvest is not really a comedy and not really a film noir. Actually, it bears no genre per se. Simply, it's a wonderful installment in the phantom subgenre of cinematic moodiness.

"The Ice Harvest" has all of the requisite ingredients of your classic film noir (the perfect crime, the femme fatale, a partnership undone by avarice, meaty plot twists), but it doesn't feel like a pastiche; and it's part of the movie's sense of humor that the crime goes down at Christmastime (in Wichita, no less, which is appropriate given the overall sleepy vibe) And not the bad sleepy, either.

I came away from this with a smile on my face. There's some great dialogue (most of the funnies come from Billy Bob Thornton), and John Cusack's ideally chosen for a character brimming with self-loathing. Most of all, it tickles me that the late Harold Ramis was behind this. It's great stuff.

7/10

One of the worst movies that I have ever seen. I'm embarrassed that I did not walk out of the theater. The four men leads are some of the best actors anywhere now and should hang their heads in shame. I hope they were paid well. Cusack sleepwalks throughout the movie. Platt is a bad drunk. Billy Bob and Randy Quaid were wasted. Poorly directed and badly edited.

It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It was supposed to be a film noir I suspect but it was just a film dreary. Not dark, just dreary.

Save your money. Don't let Hollywood get away with this garbage. Surely, someone can produce a film better than this.

I don't miss an opportunity to see Joh Cusack. This was a good film for him. Not terribly innovative - a lawyer trying to rip off the mob on Christmas Eve. The usual double crosses and a somewhat predictable ending. It was good film noir.

Billy Bob Thorton was not in the movie as much as I thought. He was Cusack's partner, but had a small role. I do not think that I wish to die as he did.

Oliver Platt is another I like seeing and he was hilarious in every scene that he was in. A real riot! Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) was a classic femme fatale.

Richard Russo & Robert Benton wrote a good caper screenplay, even if it was not innovative. The movie moved along well and had some very good moments - like Thorton's death scene. :-) Harold Ramis did a good job directing. He's done some interesting films like Groundhog Day and Anaylize This; I like his work.

Billy Bob Thornton has had terrible luck recently with his films (see "Bad Santa"), but he lucks out here with "The Ice Harvest," a great example of film noir set, naturally, on Christmas Eve in Wichita. Everybody in this film -- and yes, I do mean, everybody, including the people you're supposed to be rooting for -- shows an unsavory side. Thornton shows his side with equal parts of passion and cunning. John Cusack, playing a mob lawyer involved in a plot to swindle his employer, plays his role with enough subtlety that he passes for an attorney, enough venom to let us know life has treated him wrong (and he has returned the favor), and everyone else runs the gamut from fawning to mischievous to I-can't-believe-I've-gotta-spend-the-holiday- doing-this angry. It's no spoiler to reveal that this plot has enough twists to keep any mystery lover happy, and a few near the end come with warning beacons. But this movie carries far more laughs than the usual December comedy.

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.

John Cusack stars, and his performance is pretty much what you expect from him: quick-witted and cynical. But, as far as I'm concerned, as long as that's what the role calls for, he's always good. He plays a mob lawyer who has just stolen over $2 million from his boss (Randy Quaid) with the help of a strip club owner (Billy Bob Thornton). For a good ways into the picture, I thought I was seeing one of the best films of last year. It does start to stumble after about the halfway point, but it still finishes pretty strong. All the actors are strong, but I have to give special kudos to Oliver Platt, who is always a delight. He plays a drunk friend of Cusack's who is now miserably married to Cusack's ex-wife. I don't normally praise drunk acts, but Platt is particularly believable – and hilarious. This movie is a lot of fun and well worth seeing.

This dopey caper comedy has little to offer, but at least you can get it out of the way and still have plenty of the afternoon left. John Cusack is a lawyer for some Kansas gangsters and he has a scheme for stealing a couple of million bucks from his employers. He describes his misdeed as "skimming," though from the look of things it would take his boss at least five years to accumulate that much cash from his Wichita strip clubs, never mind have that much left over for Cusack to "skim." Whatever, a series of dumb missteps by Cusack and his crime partner, Billy Bob Thornton, keep them on the edge of capture by the mob. You won't care. This is not worth even the 88 minutes it lasts. Who is picking scripts for Cusack?

This was a pretty good effort on the part of Ramis to tackle a story with a little more depth than his average comedy. That being said, depth isn't the only difference here. The Ice Harvest is one of the most incredibly bleak and cynical films I've seen in years. Essentially this is a movie for depressed people who have no faith in ANYTHING. Morals always getting in your way? Check out The Ice Harvest. Hate the world? This flick is for you. Want to dismember your ex? You'll find many characters here who sympathize with you.

Words of advice: Don't watch this if you're on suicide alert. But if you want to check out a true "black comedy", the Ice Harvest might be right for you.