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The Ice Harvest (2006) DVD Review
The Ice Harvest (2006) DVD Credits:
The Ice Harvest (2006) Directed by:
Harold Ramis
The Ice Harvest (2006) Written by:
Richard Russo, Robert Benton
The Ice Harvest (2006) Cast:
John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid, Oliver Platt
The Ice Harvest (2006) Released by:
Not available at this time
Region:
1
The Ice Harvest (2006) DVD Release Date:
28th February 2006
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The Ice Harvest (2006) Synopsis:

It's Christmas Eve in rainy, icebound Wichita, Kansas, and this year Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) just might have something to celebrate. Charlie, an attorney for the sleazy businesses of Wichita, and his unsavory associate, the steely Vic Cavenaugh (Billy Bob Thornton), have just successfully embezzled $2,147,000 from Kansas City boss Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid). Even so, the real prize for Charlie would be the stunning Renata (Connie Nielsen), who runs the Sweet Cage strip club. Charlie's fondest Christmas wish is to slip out of town with Renata. But, as daylight fades and a storm whirls, everyone from Charlie's drinking buddy Pete Van Heuten (Oliver Platt) to the local police begin to wonder just what exactly is in Charlie's Christmas stocking. For Charlie, the 12 hours of Christmas Eve are filled with nonstop twists and turns, both on the ice and off.

The Ice Harvest (2006) DVD Review:

It seems recently that all dark comedies about a crime to take place on Christmas Eve must have Billy Bob Thornton in them. I suppose there have only been a few of these such films, but it still doesn’t seem as though many other actors could have filled the role as easily in Harold Ramis’s new film that also stars John Cusack. The Ice Harvest manages to blend genres seamlessly and effortlessly in a way that is quite unique. While the film starts as a crime film it quickly turns into a dark comedy, but by the last act of the film it begins to conform to the textbook requirements of a film noir.

Charlie (Cusack) and Vic (Thornton) both work for the mob in Wichita, but on one fateful Christmas Eve they put into motion a plan to steal two million dollars from their boss and flee town. When the roads are iced over they are forced to spend the night acting as if nothing has happened so that they don’t raise suspicions. Charlie travels from one mob-owned strip club to the next occasionally crossing paths with a strip club owner he wants to run away with him (Connie Nielson), a friend that is now married to his ex-wife (Oliver Platt), and the police.

Charlie is a hesitant man while Vic seems more likely to make decisions without regard to consequence, so Charlie begins to worry that he may be left behind or killed by his partner. Thornton is great as Vic because he has many opportunities to get mad and swear, which is something that this actor has made a career of doing. Platt is also quite entertaining because he is drunk the entire film. He can’t hold his alcohol and some of the scenes are quite embarrassing, but a great depiction as well as a source of humor in the film. Nielson is great as the femme fatale, even using her voice as a tool against Charlie.

The Ice Harvest has a great feel to it. The color tones are fantastic and contrasting. There are many scenes in which all of the colors are cool and obviously mirrored to represent the ice in the film, but then there are many scenes in the strip clubs and bars that are filled with fake and artificial lights. There are a number of people that would argue that a film noir must be shot in black and white, and although this is in color, many scenes have the feel of a black and white film.

The DVD has a number of great special features, but most importantly is the alternate ending. Most viewers probably never watch the special features, but the one exception is the alternate ending. Everyone wants to know how the film would have been different, and this ending is somewhat more expected than what was in the actual film. There is also a feature commentary with director Harold Ramis, who is humorous with subtlety and wit throughout the track. Another great special feature is an outtake with Billy Bob Thornton which is worth checking out. The other special features include a behind the scenes featurette, a featurette about the adapting of the book to screenplay format, and an analysis of a key scene within the film.

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The Ice Harvest (2006) DVD review written by: Ryan Izay

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