Thin Ice - A Movie Review

How can there be a flaw in the plan? We’re on thin ice as it is!

Hiding from a murder case and sneaking into theaters in 2011, Thin Ice is a film about a dishonest insurance salesman. Scrutinizes to steal an old man’s violin worth millions. Unfortunately, Mickey’s plan backfires when he teams up with a psychotic man.

Don’t you love a good movie that steers you in a completely different direction? Thin Ice established its direction, story, and masterful edits. The best part about mystery films is how writers set up the drama. My mouth hung open at the cunning revelation in the climax.

I have been watching more films with Greg Kinnear ever since I saw him in Little Miss Sunshine. Not an honest man, Mickey is caught up in a situation nobody wants to be stuck in. His reactions to everything going on were my favorite. You could just feel his head about to explode the more the situation gets out of hand.

Thin Ice had the best side characters. Supporting actors are great at characterization. No small part is ever small.

Billy Crudup was phenomenal in his role. Randy has a dark personality and knows the ins and outs of crime life all too well. He was one of my favorite characters in the film.

Alan Arkin has another memorable appearance. Just when I deemed that he plays the same character type in every film, Thin Ice proved me wrong. Arkin is a wonderful comedic actor, whether in delivery of lines of physical comedy. After playing father and son in Little Miss Sunshine, Kinnear and Arkin establish a completely contrasting dynamic.

Stranger Things fans, get ready to see David Harbour before he was Hopper. Based on his shy personality, I was trying to figure out if it was him. He is a fantastic actor.

More credits include appearances from Lea Thompson, Peter Moore, Bob Balaban, and a short appearance by a late actor who had a small part in Friends.

What starts as a simple film turns into a crazy murder story. But that’s not all. Jill Sprecher had clever direction throughout this film. This film fools you, too. Sprecher had good choices of edits that quickly transitioned into the next scene. Viewers always get what is happening so we don’t need exposition.

The music choices were great selections for this mystery. I noticed that filming took place in cold temperatures. Anytime characters were outside you could see their breath and even put their hands inside their pockets to stay warm. Just from the stress and tension, I felt the chill.

The locations serve as an important dynamic in the story. New York is a big city, but you never know who could be watching you. For one location, an actual violin shop was used in downtown Minneapolis. Every location serves a purpose in films.

This film tests audiences on several levels, like whose side you’re on. What I liked most about Thin Ice was the ending. Like most films, characters learn from their mistakes, right? The decision to make a character not learn from the situation was a good angle. Sometimes people can’t change.

For me, the film took a bit to get into its main plotline. It was slow in the beginning. It was also boring listening to all the talk about insurance. In the middle, the story becomes a suspenseful mystery.

You have to watch Thin Ice on Amazon Prime. It’s an exciting film that keeps your eyes locked on the screen. Watch this film closely because as I learned, you miss little details.