The Ice Harvest
Focus Features | Release Date: November 23, 2005
8.4
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 177 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
138
Mixed:
17
Negative:
22
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
8
MikeBiermanMay 16, 2013
More drama than comedy, but dark in any case. I am a Cusack fan, and he does a fine job. Well worth a watch to see these miserable feckless cretins fail and screw each other over at every turn.
7 of 7 users found this helpful70
All this user's reviews
4
SusanM.Mar 7, 2006
Not funny, bad storyline, so glad I didn't go see it in the theatre!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
DougR.Apr 14, 2006
Not bad, not good. You won't feel like you wasted $9, but you leave feeling it could have been much more.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
PedroB.Nov 30, 2005
I'm a fan of Cusack, Platt, Billy Bob, Quaid and Ramis but...this was a miserable movie. I'm embarrassed that I did not walk out and demand my money back. It wasn't a film noir - it was a film dreary.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
chucklerr.Dec 17, 2005
Expecting a comedy i got gore very black comedy indeed roll over shakespeare.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
MarkB.Dec 2, 2005
John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton have heretofore been two of my favorites, but they deserve nothing but coal in their Christmas stockings for being such bad little actors this year! In this indifferent attempt to add some bitter, John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton have heretofore been two of my favorites, but they deserve nothing but coal in their Christmas stockings for being such bad little actors this year! In this indifferent attempt to add some bitter, unsweetened chocolate to the usual lump of big-screen holiday-themed treacle, Billy Bob does nothing more than repeat his performance in this summer's Bad News Bears...which was in itself an extremely faded carbon copy of his brilliant, gutbusting work in 2003's Bad Santa. The best that can be said of Cusack's somnabulent work here and in 2005's earlier Must Love Dogs is that he gives both scripts about as much (or as little) energy as they deserve. The two play partners in crime in a Christmas Eve heist that goes foul due to the unpredictable machinations of various other individuals, Mother Nature and each other; the film goes out of its way to be assaultive and offensive, what with copious strip-club nudity, gore, nasty behavior even for this genre, and repetitions of Tony Montana's and Eric Cartman's favorite noun/verb/adjective/adverb, but it just doesn't have the conviction or energy to leave any marks. Redeeming traits include cinematographer Alar Kivilo's lighting of costar Connie Neilsen (Gladiator, Brothers) as though she were the reincarnation of Rita Hayworth (can't completely argue with that) and two performances that at least momentarily allow the film to partially reach its Donald E. Westlake-like aspirations: Oliver Platt is so oddly and genuinely endearing, of all things, as a serial alcoholic that I wouldn't be surprised to see M.A.D.D. start picketing the multiplex, while Randy Quaid shows everybody how it's done by delivering a truly creepy, menacing and funny performance before disappearing all too soon. But the movie's fatal flaw is its lackadaisical direction: let's face it, this material cries out for a Walter Hill, a John Dahl or a Carl Franklin...someone with a reel feel and love for the noir genre. What it gets is Harold Ramis, an increasingly uneven and erratic comedy specialist whose long career includes two films, Caddyshack and Groundhog Day, that have taken on lives of their own as cult movies. Ramis may be going for the hat trick here, but the closest that The Ice Harvest is gonna get to picking up a cult of its own is if all the copies of it that will soon be filling the $5.99 DVD bin happen to be near the checkout counter of a video store that's located next door to the local Hare Krishna headquarters!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
DTHOMPSONDec 3, 2005
Yes! Harold Ramis does Film Noir! Just imagine Russell Banks and Elmore Leonard re-writing "Fargo". Nice dark comedy, not "Mickey Blue Eyes" - (or UNFUNNY that is). Sometimes funny doesn't come one joke at a time. Ice Harvest never Yes! Harold Ramis does Film Noir! Just imagine Russell Banks and Elmore Leonard re-writing "Fargo". Nice dark comedy, not "Mickey Blue Eyes" - (or UNFUNNY that is). Sometimes funny doesn't come one joke at a time. Ice Harvest never pushes the laughs - it just lets it come honestly, although Oliver Platt's charater is hilarious.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
StephenW.Dec 4, 2005
Good movie, nice to watch but didn't knock my socks off. Worth seeing once but not going to add it to my DVD collection.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
HeatherWDec 5, 2005
Ugh. A few cheap laughs and Cusack's usual likeable-jerk, but other than that this movie was completely unredeeming. And worse than that, it was pointless and boring. Nothing new, nothing particularly clever. I don't understand why Ugh. A few cheap laughs and Cusack's usual likeable-jerk, but other than that this movie was completely unredeeming. And worse than that, it was pointless and boring. Nothing new, nothing particularly clever. I don't understand why so many reviewers like it so much.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
corbins.Jan 9, 2006
Funny, entertaining, and an overall good laugh.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
JeffM.Sep 25, 2006
Good, dark fun.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
JasonRApr 25, 2009
Not enough humor or heart to make up for a lot of material that's on the extreme end of noir.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
JDoggNov 21, 2005
This movie was a truly embarassing feat. Harold Ramis has lost all of his genious school-kid fun from the old days and is turning in poorly written and acted crap. The movie has a decent comedy premise, but after it starts, it never gets This movie was a truly embarassing feat. Harold Ramis has lost all of his genious school-kid fun from the old days and is turning in poorly written and acted crap. The movie has a decent comedy premise, but after it starts, it never gets anywhere meaningful, and it is choppy and dull along the way. Although, Billy-Bob, asw always, is a joy to watch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
BaycydNov 25, 2005
this was *so* much fun... the antidote we needed to "peace on earth, goodwill to men"!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
DanaM.Nov 27, 2005
Comedy? Not unless you find humor in falling down drunks. This film had a strange resemblance to Fargo, minus the wood-chipper. If you enjoy strip-joints, alcoholics, and Mafia-style hits, this movie is for you. Otherwise, wait for the DVD.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
SusanneA.Nov 27, 2005
Terrific!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
BillCNov 28, 2005
All the ingredents are there , but it adds up to less the the parts. The story lacks a payoff or something. Cusack and Billy Bob shoed up , but the story needed more work. Bill C.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
PeterS.Nov 28, 2005
Good acting by John Cusack but ho hum shoot em up movie without much story to it. If you want lots of violence this is the movie for you.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
jacobg.Dec 12, 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 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.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
ShannonNov 25, 2005
There were moments of real, uncomfortable, comedy. However, no moments of brilliance, only competence, from these otherwise brillant actors.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
Rev.R.Nov 26, 2005
Harold Ramis intends to offer us a dark comedy for Christmas. The humor is definitely there; but, the moments of true sophisticated humor are spaced, what seems to be, aeons apart. You don't laugh in this movie, you smirk and nod your Harold Ramis intends to offer us a dark comedy for Christmas. The humor is definitely there; but, the moments of true sophisticated humor are spaced, what seems to be, aeons apart. You don't laugh in this movie, you smirk and nod your head in an attempt to say, "I got that one!" It is hard not to believe Ramis had "Kill Bill" in mind as a prototype for this film, or even "Bad Santa." However, this movie is weak in comparison, often sedating the audience as we wait for the next intellectual flash of humor. Our adrenalin gland is working overtime this time of year, so this movie feels sooooo slowwww. If you have time to kill, it might be worth a viewing.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
LincolnS.Nov 27, 2005
Good acting, but no likeable characters. I looked at my watch 3 times...not a good sign.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
TomB.Nov 27, 2005
What is the point of the following subplots: the stripper abused by her boyfriend, a city councilman being blackmailed by the mob boss and Charlie and his kids? And how could a reviewer worth his/her salt (I'm looking at you, Ebert - What is the point of the following subplots: the stripper abused by her boyfriend, a city councilman being blackmailed by the mob boss and Charlie and his kids? And how could a reviewer worth his/her salt (I'm looking at you, Ebert - Siskel is rolling in his grave at the thumbs up you give to ANYTHING since he died) give a movie anything more than 2 stars with so much of the movie committed to pointlessness? What a waste of time, indeed. The way they handle Vic's dead wife is shameless. Harold Ramis had better have donated his paycheck to charity.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
StuQNov 28, 2005
Bad bad bad...boring boring boring.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
Tss5078Mar 14, 2015
When two low level mafia members are frustrated with their roles, they come up with a plan to steal two million dollars from their boss. Everything goes off without a hitch, and now, they just have to wait one night before they can get out ofWhen two low level mafia members are frustrated with their roles, they come up with a plan to steal two million dollars from their boss. Everything goes off without a hitch, and now, they just have to wait one night before they can get out of town and move on to a new life, but things are never that simple. The Ice Harvest was an interesting film, with a great cast, and had they been able to pull off what they were attempting to do, it would have been a classic. Producers decided to make this film a modern day, 1930's type noir film, but at the same time, they wanted to mock how cheesy and over the top these films could be. It was a great idea, but it didn't work because the mocking wasn't subtle. In fact, the film takes it so far, that it becomes exactly what they were trying to make fun of in the first place. John Cusack stars and he can make any film better. This guy can play anyone and is always amazing, I just can't understand why he doesn't take on bigger roles. Here he's paired with Billy Bob Thornton, who under the right circumstances, can be hilarious. While he was pretty funny, he has almost no chemistry with Cusack and that hurt the film. These guys were partners, but on completely opposite pages and it just doesn't work. The Ice Harvest was an interesting story and I wish they had been able to pull off what they were attempting to do, but very quickly the film becomes a farce of itself, brutally predictable, and simply a waste of time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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