Thin Ice

source: Thin Ice

I have to say I really enjoyed "Thin Ice" even though it had a few problems. It certainly didn't have any cast problems: Greg Kinnear, who somehow always surprises me; Billy Crudup, whom I adore; and Alan Arkin, an absolute treasure. Also on hand were Lea Thompson, David Harbour, and Jennifer Edwards Hughes. The movie is compared to Fargo because it takes place in Wisconsin in the winter and the major theme is a guy doing something dishonest and getting in way over his head. The comparisons really stop there. This is a good movie on its own. It's not perfect but it is entertaining. Insurance agent Mickey (Greg Kinnear) is blackmailed by Locksmith Randy (Billy Crudup) over the theft of a valuable violin owned by Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin). Mickey (Kinnear) is an insurance man, and when we first see him, he's giving a lecture at an insurance convention. While he's there his wallet is stolen and of course, it contained credit cards. But he gets the wallet back with the cash gone and the cards intact. While he's at the convention, he meets a man, Bob Egan (Harbour) who hasn't taken his insurance exam yet. He has been offered a job with an unfavorable split; Mickey betters it and hires him. Bob is good at his job and introduces Mickey to a potential client, Gorvy (Arkin) who lives on a farm. He has tons of stuff, a lot of which is from his ill sister, and Bob wants him to have insurance. While he's there, Mickey sees an appraisal for a violin of Gorvy's. The appraisal is $25,000. Mickey decides to steal it. What follows is one complication after another, which involves Mickey with an ex-con (Crudup) and some other unpleasantness. Apparently this film was taken from the director and edited without his input. The film has imperfections, but the script by the Sprechers is good, possibly inspired by Fargo and a couple of other films. The acting was wonderful on all accounts, but I have to say Crudup was amazing. It was a showier role than Kinnear's, and though Arkin was excellent, I had seen him do that kind of thing before. Crudup as a bad-tempered sleaze was outstanding. Highly recommended. You can pick a film like this apart but it's so entertaining, why bother.

Better not to know too much about the plot before you see this fun movie. It's hard not to think of the Coen brothers and "Fargo" while watching. Pitch perfect cast. Greg Kennear makes used car salesmen look good compared to isurance salesmen. Pleasant enough but seems a bit slow and dull until Billy Crudup shows up as the over the top locksmith. He speaks loudly and carries a big hammer. Crudup lights a rocket under everyone and the movie takes off. There's a bright happy original score that shines light on this dark comedy. If you feel it is a tad slow at the start hang in there, it makes up for it as it races to a conclusion. It may not get a wide distribution but it's worth seeking out. After you see it, don't tell your friends too much. Just send them.

I can't believe all the butter up tossed into the laps of the Sprecher sisters when they told critics more than 20 minutes of this film was re edited without their approval. Greg Kinnear is great as an insurance salesman pulled into a scheme to steal farmer Alan Arbus's violin worth 25,000 dollars only to have locksmith Billy Crudup murder the neighbor and blackmail Kinnear into helping him cover up the crime. The snowy streets, ice ponds and backwood bars provided a suspenseful atmosphere to this noir comedy/drama until just 90 minutes in a cheery narrative tells us the farmer staged the whole thing, a management office paid him to do it, etc. It just got me lost it was so long and talky. Like Roger Ebert noted, it was a great drama unfolding in the real and unplanned sense until the hokey voice over arrived. The Sprechers seem to have liked their characters so much they could not give them a negative resolution or denouement of any kind. It seems dad was selling insurance and maybe he wouldn't sign a life story release or they just couldn't hurt his feelings. I kept thinking "Push Billy Crudup into the ice pond, you idiot. Make up your mind about something." Unfinished film project rates a D plus.

"I said no cops, why doesn't anybody listen." Mickey Prohaska (Kinnear) is a down on his luck insurance salesman stuck in Wisconsin. After finding out that a new client of his has a rare violin worth over $25,000 he thinks his problems are solved. When he finally finds a way to get it and sell it an unstable locksmith (Crudup) shows up and changes everything. This is a good movie but really could have been better. This is kind of a mix between "Ice Harvest" and "Fargo" but not quite as good as those. I have thought that Greg Kinnear is one of the most underrated actors and this is another fine performance. The only problem is that the entire movie seemed a little flat and was really lacking excitement. I'm not saying that this not a good movie, it is worth watching and I enjoyed it but it was missing something. The thing that really helped the movie was the end. I really liked the twist and that made the movie better then it could have been. Overall, a flat movie with good acting that is saved by the ending. I give it a B.

I really liked this movie.It did remind me of Fargo in some ways and Greg Kinear was excellent as the bumbling,slightly crooked insurance agent.There were many twists and turns as the plot unfolded.It plays out in a manner that leads you to believe very bad things are in store for most of the characters.Of course, the old man with the valuable violin seems to be the perfect foil as the story develops.Instead of a simple case of theft,things turn violent with the appearance of the security system installer.Our insurance agent continues his string of bad luck and personal disasters as the story leads to murder,a ice burial and a missing violin.The violin has suddenly become worth 1.25 million and our hero keeps finding ways to screw up his theft.As the movie climaxes,we learn the whole thing is a well designed sting that leaves our cheating insurance man holding the bag.As the movie ends,he is a whole lot poorer but reverting back to his roots.I found the movie to be very enjoyable and full of interesting twists and turns.The acting was very believable and I would highly recommend this movie.

You need to know that this is a comedic crime movie with an intricate twist at the end. The good actors and compelling plot held my interest from the start. The two movies that it reminded me of were Fargo because of the cold, snowy weather, and A Simple Plan for it's bumbling low-class crooks. Greg Kinnear plays the crooked insurance agent who plots to steal a million dollar violin from an old man for whom he is writing an insurance policy. Billy Crudup is very effective as the crooked locksmith who manages to get himself tangled up in the theft. Alan Arkin is great as the old man who plays the patsy but turns out to be the real brains behind a con that was so elaborate and intricate that I find it hard to believe they could actually pull it off. But it makes a great fun flick with a twist. Many people don't like the ending. I thought the denouement was clever, but zipped by too fast to really get the beauty of the con. I wish they had given a few more minutes to the ending.

Set in the snowy Midwest like "Fargo", "Thin Ice" seems like "Fargo" light. The convoluted story-line piles on problem after problem for our somewhat sympathetic main character, played by Greg Kinnear. Alan Arkin and Billy Crudup are also involved in this "insurance caper". My main objection to the film is that upon reflection, or perhaps a second viewing, things just don't seem totally "Kosher". I can't put my finger on it, but sometimes believability is stretched like a violin string, if you can excuse the pun. The movie is entertaining, and certainly the script is clever, perhaps just a bit too clever to be believed. Recommended for fans of "Fargo", "A Simple Plan", and others of the type. - MERK

Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey's attempt to con the old man spins out of control when a nosy, unstable locksmith (Billy Crudup) with a volatile temper dramatically ups the stakes, trapping him in a spiral of danger, deceit and double-crossing. Blending dark comedy and delirious Midwestern noir, THIN ICE reaches a breaking point that no one — least of all Mickey Prohaska — could ever see coming. I thought this movie was very entertaining. I loved the ending.

This is one of those movies were what you see is not what is really happening. Everything that happens is to mislead you to the surprise ending. Mickey is an insurance salesman whom finds a new client with the help of a new employee. The new client, Gorvy, is an elderly man that is buying insurance for his house, but Mickey soon learns he also possesses a valuable violin. Mickey is in a lot of debt and so decides to swindle the old man. What he learns days later, is that he was the only one whom was swindled. And everybody he thought he new was really someone else. I thought it was clever. FINAL VERDICT: check it out, it's a great con.