Thin Ice (2012)

Mickey, Mickey...what a prick you are! Greg Kinnear is fantastic in this film. He makes you practically hate this guy Mickey but plays the character so well that you actually feel bad for him as things develop. Billy Crudup is superb as well as the great Alan Arkin and Lea Thompson. Wish her character could have been developed more.The way this movie progresses it's in such a away there's two levels of patience required to fully enjoy it. This cast is incredible, actors actors. Granted, rumors have pointed towards this film being cut by twenty minutes from the original writer/director cut and these minutes carried character and story development, I'm sure. Either way the performances and hanging in there to watch the whole thing, it's worth it. With all the below average movies out there, this one was really good.

This is a must watch of fans of films such as Fargo and Usual Suspects, a roller-coaster ride which has you empathising with all the characters that surround the main character as he unveils his story and his underhanded and immoral plans which take him deeper and deeper into trouble. You soon forget that the protagonist is revealing a story of events and get caught up in the moment. Through most of the film I was merely content in the enjoyable storyline, it was only at the end sequence when all the components come together that you realise that this is actually a masterpiece of setting you up for a change in direction. Bravo to all concerned

"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 was a bit intrigued to see how the new, re-cut "The Convincer" would stack up to its predecessor. To be honest, I was a bit bias from the start, particularly given the title change to "Thin Ice" Either way, this film lacks structure. I feel like that, in an attempt to make it to the 90 minute marker, it has sacrificed much of its plot. Scenes jump too quickly, and the characters are not allowed to develop as well as they were in "The Convincer". The most important thing to remember when making a suspenseful film is to allow the suspense to develop. Am I crazy to think this? Did the producers simply decide that this had to be a certain length, and then adjust the plot as such? That's how I felt while watching this film. There is some true potential amidst all of this though - the chemistry between Alan Arkin and Greg Kinnear is only magnified by the addition of Billy Crudup, whose edgy character brings an "anything can happen" dynamic to the plot.Unfortunately I still can't get past the jumpy editing and floundering sound track. I'm not well adversed on the business side of film, but this newer version left me disappointed. I'm going to go ahead and point my finger at Werc Werk Works. But that's just me.