Review of The Ice Harvest (2005) by Jacobg. — 12 Dec 2005

This is one of the better neo-noirs in recent memory. The Ice Harvest adhered to the genre more specifically than many similar movies (Man Who Wasn't There, One False Move, Red Rock West, Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang etc.

. ) The only deviation keeping this from being a great noir is the optimistic ending. This would never have happened in the 40's and 50's. The film mixes a good deal of humor, all of it born of pain, with a macabre, bloody, slutty, and somewhat convuluted existensialist plot.

I use convuluted positively as it was a trademark of great noir-see The Big Sleep. This film has Connie Nielsen whispering and swiveling her way toward Stanwyck and Bacall territory. And it has John Cusack as the everyman tired of his nothing life-of his own bad decision making-of his own amorality-desperately trying to steal a piece of the pie for himself.

None of it works out for him-as it shouldn't. Billy Bob Thorton's character is a bit thin but has two great scenes with Cusack-a drink and conversation sequence and a hilariously devious ridding of bodies.

Overall the ending and a few of the more ridiculous plot holes make this film not quite perfect noir-but today in my cineplex, pretty good noir is always welcome.