Ice Harvest

Throughout The Ice Harvest, a phrase that comes up again and again is, "As Wichita falls, so falls Wichita Falls." It's a catchy saying, but much like the film itself, it doesn't really mean anything. The Ice Harvest is all show and no substance: its characters and setting have the look of a classic film noir, but the plot-a strange mix of noir and comedy-fails to compel or produce enough laughs for this to matter.

On Christmas Eve, Charlie Arglist (John Cusack playing against type but unable to escape his quirky niche) steals $2 million from his mobster boss on his way out of town. But, first he must deal with the remnants of his current life: his maybe duplicitous partner-in-crime Vic (Billy Bob Thornton in typical funny, yet strange mode), best-friend-on-a-bender Pete (Oliver Platt in the film's only standout performance), and femme fatale Renata (Connie Nielsen, in a role too reminiscent of Kim Basinger's character in LA Confidential). All this against the backdrop of the birth of baby Jesus. Right.

Director Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Analyze This) veers away from his comedic roots and takes a rare misstep. Film noir and slapstick comedy are two genres that don't easily mix and, in this case, the product is more than a little schizophrenic.

The Ice Harvest is a caper flick that doesn't show the crime and a comedy that doesn't produce the laughs, resulting in a film that won't appeal to an audience.