The Ice Harvest: Grade A

A

The Ice Harvest

John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen. Director = Harold Ramus, Screenplay = Richard Russo

This is a delicious revival of the film noir style. It is dark, gritty, with sidelighted cigarette smoke, lots of drinking, murder, bodies stuffed in trunks, strippers, and a $2 million heist. Set in the present, this is no formulaic remake. The script is tight and sharp and hilarious. (“When she tells me to redirect my anger in more positive ways, it makes me want to slap her silly.”) The acting is outstanding by the three principals. They could have done a tongue-in-cheek parody, but didn’t. Cusack is the best I’ve ever seen him (which is not enough). BBT really acts instead of hamming it up. Connie Nielsen, still beautiful, but not the knockout she once was, does a fine job. The only false note, which is the director’s fault, not hers, is when she imitates Lauren Bacall. There’s some strange lighting, with rooms inexplicably bathed in red floodlights, but otherwise the photography is a standout character of its own. The DVD shows alternate endings and the theatrical version is, predictably, the “happy” one. But the second one really is just too dark, and the third is confusing.