The Ice Harvest - 6

It is marketed as a comedy but is really a more crowd-pleasing film noir. I use that term lightly since the main character does not go totally insane and try to kill himself. It is somewhat reminiscent of Fargo. It is less a heist film and more about the process of getting away with crime. The film takes place in Witchita Kansas and involves ripping off the only really rich guy in town off for 2 million, but that is really a minor point. In the process the audience follows John Cusack's character Charlie. The story takes twist as he tries to make sure that he does actually get away with the crime which eventually takes its toll on him emotionally. The film uses the humor to throw the audience off the scent of the small details that lead to the thriller ending. Supporting actors Billy Bob Thorton and Oliver Platt do a good job (this is no Lake Placid). A funny film that is actually a pretty intelligent film that deals with issues of character and is more realistic in human response to violence and crime. It also makes some Christian jokes focused on how conservative the state of Kansas is (see this book), which is interesting because those terms do not mean the same thing. Well, I hope not.