The Ice Harvest (DVD)

I first heard about The Ice Harvest around a year ago, Stateside this movie developed quite a cult following. But here in the UK nobody knew it was here or what it was. The Ice Harvest’s interesting blend of story telling turns from comedic to incredibly dark at the drop of a hat. One movie two very different extremes, The Ice Harvest is one of the more unusual titles I’ve encountered this year.

Charlie (John Cusack) is a lawyer, a ...
...to two million dollars of the mobs money, before planning to leave the small rat infested hole he calls home. Vic (Billy Bob Thornton) is Charlie’s accomplice to this terrible crime, and the two plan to split the money and get a better life. But as the saying goes about the plans of mice and me, things are not as straightforward as they first seem. Its Christmas Eve, and the ice and rain have hit hard, its difficult to get out of town, it seems even ... more

I first heard about The Ice Harvest around a year ago, Stateside this movie developed quite a cult following. But here in the UK nobody knew it was here or what it was. The Ice Harvest’s interesting blend of story telling turns from comedic to incredibly dark at the drop of a hat. One movie two very different extremes, The Ice Harvest is one of the more unusual titles I’ve encountered this year.

Charlie (John Cusack) is a lawyer, a lawyer for the worst kind of client, the mob. Seeking a window of opportunity Charlie helps himself to two million dollars of the mobs money, before planning to leave the small rat infested hole he calls home. Vic (Billy Bob Thornton) is Charlie’s accomplice to this terrible crime, and the two plan to split the money and get a better life. But as the saying goes about the plans of mice and me, things are not as straightforward as they first seem. Its Christmas Eve, and the ice and rain have hit hard, its difficult to get out of town, it seems even more difficult for Charlie and Vic to meet up, and now they have hired hitmen looking for them.

45 minutes into this movie by Ghostbusters star Ivan Reitman and I was convinced this was a comedy, the laughs while hardly belly laughs came thick and fast; but then all of a sudden they were gone, the whole back half of the movie was completely devoid of anything that even remotely resembles humour. This is not only a shock but a very bleak image of reality; I’m reminded of another Cusack movie The Grifters because that’s the level of seriousness that this movie developes.

It’s strange to describe this darker than dark image in a time where normally everything is cheery. While a variety of pretty horrid things are going on the image of Santa is never far from view. Decorations, stockings, and other assorted decorations litter the small town of Wichita Falls. But with all this Christmas paraphernalia nobody is smiling.

From the offset there are story elements that are thrown in like rather putrid Red Herrings; an situation with an exotic dancer features throughout the majority of the story but has no solid bearing on anything that transpires onscreen. The story regarding Pete (Oliver Platt) is never properly explained, his home littered with things associated with family and children, but with no-one home. The devious or is she Renata (Connie Neilson) overshadows the entire story, but there is little indication as to what her purpose is, although its obvious she is to have a level of romantic involvement with Charlie she is very much an enigma.

In amongst the at times confusing story comes the most edible dialogue I have heard in a movie for some time. Its total nonsense of course and my review title is an idea of the style of wording you’ll encounter. Serious situations are met with perplexingly childish statements; most of these coming from Oliver Platt’s character, who has to engage in an unusual measure to find a missing testicle at one point during the film.

The Ice Harvest is neither a great movie, nor a bad one but for whatever reason I’m compelled to watch it again. I believe in time it will become a cult title over here it has that Moviedrome (if your not old enough to remember this, sorry) feel about it. I kept expecting Alex Cox or that bloody annoying Irish guy to pop up and dissect the story. Maybe The Ice Harvest is a movie that will benefit from repeated viewings, maybe then I’ll slip into the mindset of the piece, but for now it leaves me with more questions than answers; but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Ice Harvest is selling online from Amazon Marketplace for about £8 however I’d recommend a rental before stumbling into a purchase situation. There are no special features on the DVD, but a second DVD release is planned for later on in the year. 

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