The movie "Ice Harvest" was intended as a companion piece to the films "Bad Santa" and "The Ref."
Those comedies are sobering devices used to diffuse the sappy sentimentality of holiday commercialism. They are the purest form of escapism because they use the setting of Christmas in quite the ironic way. I doubt the original filmmakers of "Miracle on 34th Street" could've foreseen how holiday entertainment would evolve, but I believe we are the better for it.
"Ice Harvest" is a noble attempt at dark comedy, but in the end, it leaves the viewer cold and on his way home to pop in "The Ref."
The film begins after a crime has been committed. John Cusack's and Billy Bob Thornton's characters have just ripped off a main mob boss played by Randy Quaid. The other character is a strip club manager played by Connie Neilsen, who goads both of the central characters with her sultry moves and undeniable beauty. The rest of the story takes place over the next several hours. Cusack and Thornton must wait for the weather to let up in order to leave town.
Needless to say, during that time, they get themselves into trouble and nothing goes as planned.
The main characters go through the predictable routes established by films in the higher pedigree of "Fargo," which "Ice Harvest" longs to be. I couldn't help but think what this story could have turned into, had the Coen brothers had their hands swirling around in "Harvest's" eggnog.
No complaint can be made of the actors who use their abilities to the fullest. The main problem is that the story wasn't fleshed out enough.
There isn't enough action going on to keep the audience interested. In the place of action, lengthy pauses of reflection on Cusack's morally bankrupt face fill in the void. If you step back and think about "Fargo," there wasn't an enormous amount of action in that either, but the complexities of the characters and the overall mood created by the talented director leave no holes to be filled.
Harold Ramis directed "Ice harvest." He also directed "Groundhog Day." That sort of comedy, coupled by Bill Murray's performance, made the flow of "Groundhog Day" seem effortless. But, in the time since that movie, Ramis has given us some stinkers such as "Multiplicity," "Bedazzled," and the "Analyze" movies. I think he was hoping to re-invent himself with this movie in order to put those films behind him.
"Ice Harvest" is definitely a step above those movies, but only a step. The overall mood of this film is that of loneliness and despair.
Don't we have enough of that emotion this time of year? Ramis tries to lighten the mood with occasional jabs at humor, but the theme he established negates any attempts at humor. In essence, as a comedy director, he has become his own worst enemy.
In order to escape the holiday blues, check out 'The Ref" or "Bad Santa" and leave "Ice Harvest" to chill down an empty auditorium.
