Geekscape Movie Reviews: Thin Ice
A few weeks ago, I had the genuine pleasure of being able to attend one ATO’s pre-screenings for the Sprecher sisters’ dark comedy, Thin Ice.
This movie brings together some amazing actors and really lets them highlight their abilities in helping create characters that you can really feel for– even if that feeling is hate.
In the lead is Greg Kinnear, playing seedy insurance salesman Mickey Prohaska, who seems to be known mostly for his role in the indie flick Little Miss Sunshine, but more recently graced us with the character of Jack Kennedy in The Kennedys.
Jack Kennedy: snazzy violinist and Russian spy.
We also have Alan Arkin as reclusive farmer, Gorvy Hauer. You probably don’t need a list of what you’d know him from, but just in case… Little Miss Sunshine (Grandpa Edwin), Get Smart (The Chief), Sunshine Cleaning(Joe Lorkowski), Grosse Pointe Blanke (Dr. Oatman), and, most importantly, The Last Unicorn (Schmendrick!!).
Also featuring:
- Lea Thompson (Marty’s mom – Back to the Future II and Back to the Future III) as Mickey’s mostly estranged wife, Jo Ann.
- David Harbour (D.A. Frank Scanlon – The Green Hornet and Shep Campell in Revolutionary Road) as the gullible insurance salesman, Bob Egan.
- Billy Crudup (Dr. Manhattan – The Watchmen, Will Bloom – Big Fish, and the incredibly, incredibly hot Russell Hammond – Almost Famous) as the psychotically violent and infinitely punchable locksmith, Randy.
- Bob Balaban (Jonathan Steinbloom – A Mighty Wind, Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III – Best in Show) as the (kinda creepily) intense violin lover, Leonard Dahl.
How do they all link together? I’m so glad you asked.
Look over there.
Well, Mickey (Kinnear) is an insurance salesman who bumps into Bob (Harbour) at an insurance convention/party/gathering/fiesta(!) and, after learning that his most-hated competitor is about to hire him, snatches Bob for his own office… which only has one employee– a deservingly bitter secretary.
After the insurance fiesta, Mickey returns to Wisconsin to hopefully reunite with Jo Ann (Thompson) and get back to work. Bob follows him into the artic (Wisconsin) shortly after and, while hunting new sales, discovers Gorvy (Arkin) living on an uninsured farm.
What, over there?
Mickey, learning from Bob of this eccentric old man, decides to accompany his new employee to Gorvy’s ranch in attempt to up the sale. During various visits, Mickey learns that an old violin in Gorvy’s possession may be worth a decent chunk of cash, so decides to steal it and sell it himself to (creepily intense) violinophile, Leonard (Balaban).
Eventually, Randy (Crudup) comes into the scene while installing a security system on Gorvy’s farm. Frustration, chaos, skeeviness, and murder ensue. (Mostly chaos and frustration, if you’re running percentages.)
In sum, there’s a decent chunk of interesting characters one has to keep track of as they weave together the Sprecher’s delightfully intense story.
Yes, over there!
I’ve been noticing a number of reviewers are comparing this work to the Cohen brothers’ Fargo. I would not say that this is the case. Yes, the characters are in a cold environment. Yes, they’re in that part of the country where people have odd accents and wear weird furry hats. Yes, this is a total dark comedy that wraps itself around a murder.
It’s not Fargo. This movie stands on its own, and to compare it to Fargo— while a good association to make in regards to certain points– is too much.
I actually found it to be a bit darker than Fargo. I’m not a dark comedy fan at all. I judge how “dark” a comedy is by how uncomfortable it makes me. While I was watching this movie, I was squirming in my seat, covering my eyes, trying not to shout at the characters on screen– it got me to react and engage. That’s saying something.
Surprise!!
By the end, I was convinced of its brilliance. I wanted to murder most of the characters at one point or another, sure, but I recognized that it was an incredible piece of work put together by masterful hands that made sure to leave no details flapping in the wind.
Thin Ice comes to select theaters this Friday, February 17th. I highly suggest that you put on an awkward furry hat and hunt down your nearest showing.
