3/4  Light Dark Humour But Enjoyable
I instantly loved this movie because it reminded me so much of "Fargo" and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" but a little bit lighter on the dark humour. With a little less setting up who's who and a little more cat and mouse games, this would've been... (read full)

0.5/4  The Ice Harvest Quick Review
Nothing is right in this sloppy film.

4/5 Film Noir With a Goofy Touch
  by Michael B. Druxman (Austin, TX)
THE ICE HARVEST is a clever bit of film noir with a goofy touch. Harold Ramis directed.

John Cusack stars as a Mob lawyer who is, otherwise, a very nice guy. Along with the more sinister Billy Bob Thornton, he steals over two million dollars from his boss (Randy Quaid), then has to wait out the night until he and Thornton can make their escape.

Unfortunately, Quaid and his enforcer (Mike Starr) get wind of the theft, which creates other complications.

Richard Russo and Robert Benton's script, adapted from Scott Phillips' novel, keeps the tension high but doesn't forget the humor. Indeed, there are some hilarious sequences in this film, particularly one that involves a bad guy locked in a trunk and another that features a very drunk Oliver Platt, who nearly steals the movie.

Connie Nielsen is quite good as the movie's femme fatale.

DVD extras include audio commentary by Ramis, two alternate endings, some interesting production featurettes and a laugh-out-loud outtake with Cusack and Thornton.

4/5 Mislabeled as a comedy
  by Bradley F. Smith (Miami Beach, FL)
I guess because Richard Russo cowrote the screenplay, someone figured this should be labeled a comedy. There are no laughs. It's a dark Christmas movie with a Mob theme, several murders and a $2 million heist that goes awry. I enjoyed the atmosphere, but some won't. The dialogue is high quality. The alternate endings don't work, though, unless you want this to end even more darkly.

5/5 Great movie I loved it John Cusack is amazing
  by Karen S. Mccoy (cayucos, ca usa)
I love this movie. John Cusack was great. I watch this a lot all the time. That was great.

3/5 IT'S ONLY ME, BUT:
  by Joan M. Mckeown (ontario, canada)
SHOULD OF BEEN FUNIER WITH JOHN CUSAK AND BILLIE BOB THORNTON TOETHER. DIDN'T GUITE GET THERE. JM

4/5 HAROLD RAMIS, OPUS 10
  by wdanthemanw (Geneva, Switzerland)
***1/2 2005. Directed by Harold Ramis. The screenplay, adapted from Scott Phillips' The Ice Harvest: A Novel and written by Robert Kramer vs. Kramer Benton earned a nomination for the Edgar Allan Poe award. In the icy city of Wichita, two unskilled amateurs, who've stolen $2 million from a mob boss, try to get away. I liked a lot the cynical mood of the film who must be enjoyed like an old liqueur. Enjoyable.