The Ice Harvest

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

If Quentin Tarantino directed It’s a Wonderful Life, it might turn out something like this yuletide downer. OK, so it's never as good as the black comedy, Bad Santa, but we're still thankful for any movie that turns the whole idea of those sugar high Hallmark holiday movies on it’s ear. The ever-reliable John Cusack hasn’t been this diabolically funny since Grosse Point Blank, playing a shady attorney who, with his sleazy associate (Thornton), embezzles $2 million from a Kansas City Boss (Randy Quaid) on Christmas Eve. When an ice storm hits, the plan goes awry, but not before he takes up with an attractive strip club owner (Connie Nielsen). The movie is dark, funny, and violent, but misses the presence of Thornton’s wise-ass hijinks whenever he is off screen. That leaves a lot of mugging time for a subplot with Platt, who overplays his hand while making life miserable for Cusack (as well as the audience). If the thought of sugar plum fairies dancing in your head is unbearable this season, this cool, but flawed, black Christmas treat might be the perfect gift even a (bad) Santa could endorse.

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