Thin Ice
An insurance agent looking for a way out of frigid Wisconsin is blackmailed by an unstable locksmith in the theft of a rare violin that belongs to a retired farmer.
Director:
Jill Sprecher
Cast:
Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, Alan Arkin
Screenplay:
Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher
Screening Date:
Feb 04, 2012
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.1% | 27.3% | 47.7% | 11.4% | 4.5% |
“An entertaining scam/con film. When I saw the coming attractions I thought it was going to be a FARGO wannabe, but it wasn’t. I was right into the story but after the discussion I saw the set-up. The story behind the purchase, reediting and change of the film’s title is outrageous. There will be a buzz.”
“Alan Arkin was excellent.”
“Is that a red state? Corruption lives on and on and on.”
“I totally fell for this movie and would love to see it again and know the 2nd viewing would also be a fun ride and entertaining. All the more kudos for a brilliant plot. Thanks for bring it to us!” Jeanne K.
"Total waste of time."
“You can say that the Greg Kinnear character was hoisted with his own petard.”
“A good morning’s entertainment. I even felt sorry for the scammer who just couldn’t get out of his own way. Greg Kinnear was terrific!”
“Never figured it out. Billy Crudup was the best! Not a great movie, but 100% better than PERFECT SENSE.”
"Neat."
“Good scam movies are all dependant on the details. This was entertaining but not quite HOUSE OF GAMES where the audience is privy to the group of scammers. Good performances by Greg Kinnear who plays a despicable insurance agent and you finally feel a little sorry/sympathetic for him as crazy Billy Crudup involves him in the murder. Alan Arkin is always great. How did the payout occur, not quite clear? Found money is a tip off for con artists.”
“I found this film grey and joyless. The reveal was rushed and only barely coherent. Most of the discussion consisted in teasing out the details. Waste of time.”
“I was baffled. I did not know until the end that it was a scam. Crudup and Arkin were truly brilliant. I enjoyed being fooled.”
“I was completely taken in.”
“Well done, well acted, but I had a funny feeling throughout that something smelled fishy…starting with the money on the rug. This is not going to be embraced by the insurance industry. This reminded me of Mamet’s SPANISH PRISONER, but less obvious. Loopholes: footprint, credit cards, violin salesman. This is a film I’d see again, now knowing the ending. I really wanted this to be better.”
"I didn't like it."
If you'd like to know more about the film...
About the film’s interesting journey since its purchase at Sundance? Here’s an article from Indiewire detailing the film’s metamorphosis. One interesting fact from the article is the last line which states that Jill Sprecher’s original cut will be included with the Blu-ray DVD release.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/exclusive_is_werc_werk_works_the_hero_o...
