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'The Ice Harvest': Dark, entertaining

The Ice Harvest is a nasty, but entertaining little romp in which all characters behave badly, usually motivated by unadulterated greed and occasionally by self-preservation.

Focus Features 'The Ice Harvest' B- The verdict: A darkly comic, nicely twisted tale of greed and venality in Wichita on Christmas Eve. Director: Harold Ramis Starring: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid Run time: 88 minutes Release date: Nov. 23, 2005 Rating: R for violence, language and sexuality/nudity. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'The Ice Harvest'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

It is Christmas Eve in Wichita and mob lawyer Charlie Arglist (John Cusack) and his pornographer pal Vic Cavanaugh (Billy Bob Thornton) have given themselves a present. They have just stolen $2 million in cash from a local crime boss (Randy Quaid). Now they have to get through the night, eluding Quaid's henchmen, and fly off the next day to somewhere warm that has tenuous extradition laws.

Further complicating matters is Renata (Connie Nielsen), the good-looking manager of a strip club Charlie owns, with whom he would not mind making his getaway. Then there is his loose-cannon, alcoholic buddy Pete (rumpled Oliver Platt), who obligingly took Charlie's ex-wife and her alimony payments off his hands. Plus a genial cop who keeps finding evidence of Charlie's likely criminality, but letting him go for promises of a favorable mention to a well-connected politico.

All of this is crisply written by Richard Russo and Robert Benton, based on Scott Phillips' novel, with better-than-necessary direction by Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day). It makes for a deliciously venal holiday diversion, as long as you do not require something heartwarming.