Ice Harvest, The

Aroview: A chilled-out study in sleaze and crime with partners John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton contriving a way to lift $2 million from a Mob client in Wichita, Kansas on Christmas Eve, but finding themselves snowed-in, trapped in a street-world of deserted department stores and strip joints.

With a heady surplus of grizzly killings, black humour and cynical characters, this expertly traverses Coen Bros. territory (think FARGO) with some cracking dialogue and patient, measured performances from all the cast. Although the subverted Christmas setting is admittedly not the most original of hooks, veteran dir. Ramis handles the nicely crooked storylines and dense characterisations with visible relish.

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