Phrase "Christmas film" is usually associated with family-friendly comedies or romantic dramas, but, recently, with audiences getting more jaded and cynical, the definition was broadened to other genres, like in the case of action film Die Hard being rediscovered as the ultimate Christmas film classic. The definition could be even more broadened, towards films that not only use Christmas setting, but also offer rather subversive view of one of the most popular holidays. One such example can be found in The Ice Harvest, a 2005 crime comedy directed by Harold Ramis.
The film is based on the award-winning 2000 novel by Scott Phillips, adapted for the screen by the esteemed screenwriters Richard Russo and Robert Benton. At the beginning, we meet Charlie Arglist (played by John Cusack), a lawyer from Wichita, Kansas, a bleak, faceless city in the American Midwest. Charlie, who specialises in representing what is euphemistically known as "prominent businesspeople," has just embezzled about two million dollars from one of his clients and handed the money over to his partner Vic Cavanaugh (played by Billy Bob Thornton), who is supposed to arrange the details of their escape. It is Christmas Eve, and Charlie tries to kill time in bars and strip clubs, confronting the reality of how misguided his life has been. However, it soon becomes clear that his robbery has not gone unnoticed, and Charlie will have to face increasingly bloody consequences for his actions.
The Ice Harvest will come as quite a surprise to those whose expectations are based on the filmography of Harold Ramis, an actor and director primarily known for mainstream comedies. This film is in terms of genre and general spirit much closer to film noir and existentialist dramas than to Tarantino's black comedies, although it cannot be denied that it features some truly effective scenes of dark humour.
The Ice Harvest was produced with an R-rating in mind, so Ramis probably enjoyed working on the film that included nudity, profanity, and explicit violence. All that, however, would not make the film as appealing without a very good script and a spirited cast. John Cusack, who has specialised for decades in playing neurotic and frustrated characters, perfectly fits the role of a passive, alienated protagonist who barely attempts to survive until the end credits. Alongside him, Billy Bob Thornton delivers a strong performance as his colourful partner, and Connie Nielsen plays the noir "femme fatale". Supporting actors also deserve praise for a series of brilliant vignettes.
Although the ending seems a bit contrived, and the rhythm is disrupted by a couple of unnecessarily inserted scenes, The Ice Harvest, which became Ramis' penultimate film, deserves to be recommended as one of the entertainingly atypical pieces of that director's filmography and one of the more unusual Christmas films.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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