Ice Harvest (2005)

Kino

Love the Hard Way

Film.com's FREE movie of the week is "Love the Hard Way." Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Charlotte Ayanna star in this drama about a thief who falls for a curious, beautiful young woman. As their intimacy grows, a slick cop (Pam Greer) is closing in.

CinemaSource

Studio: Focus Features Studio: Focus Features

Rating: R

Release Date: Nov 23, 2005

Running Time: 88 mins.

Country Of Origin: United States

starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid, Mike Starr, Lara Phillips, Bill Noble, Brad Smith, Ned Bellamy

director: Harold Ramis

The Ice Harvest

Ice Harvest

In icebound Wichita, Kansas, it's Christmas Eve, and this year Charlie Arglist just might havesomething to celebrate. Charlie, an attorney for the sleazy businesses of Wichita, and his unsavory associate, the steely Vic Cavanaugh have just successfully embezzled $2 million from Kansas City boss Bill Guerrard. But the real prize for Charlie is the stunning Renata, who runs the Sweet Cage strip club. Charlie hopes to slip out of town with Renata. But as daylight fades and an ice storm whirls, everyone from Charlie's drinking buddy Pete Van Heuten to the local police begin to wonder just what exactly is in Charlie's Christmas stocking--and the 12 hours of Christmas Eve are filled withsurprises.

The Ice Harvest drifts toward the dark, lonely world of suspense-comedy but has a tough time pinning down either genre. Instead, it remains ambiguous and plays like a bad Bad Santa.

Story

It's Christmas Eve in Wichita--the Las Vegas of Kansas--and there's a mystery (with scant comedy) unfolding: Charlie (John Cusack), a disgruntled attorney and frequent strip-joint patron, and his unsavory associate, Vic (Billy Bob Thornton), have just embezzled $2 million from Charlie's mob boss. But they have…