THIN ICE
US, 2011, 93 minutes, Colour.
Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Cruddup, David Harbour, Lea Thompson, Bob Balaban.
Directed by Jill Sprecher.
Thin Ice is an entertaining con story.
However, it had distribution difficulties. Director Jill Sprecher, writing the screenplay with her sister Karen, made a film of two hours. The distributors decided to cut 20 minutes or so from the film, to make the pace faster. And the director wanted her name removed but her contract prevented this. Yet, the reduced film is quite entertaining in its way. The original title was The Convincer.
This is the story of an insurance agent, Mickey (Greg Kinnear) rather unscrupulous in his targeting clients, and eventually finding a client whom he could manipulate – and who had in his possession a violin worth up to $1 million. He cultivates the client, played very effectively by Alan Arkiin. With this, Mickey is edging out one of his contractors, a seemingly simple and honest man, played by David Harbour.
Then things begin to go awry. Enter Billy Crudup as Randy, an installer of security systems and alarms. Add a killing and the disposal of the corpse in the ice and its needing to be cut up, we find a situation where Mickey is out of his depth, with Randy always threatening him. There are complications with the violin, a replacement by a substitute, the quote from its value going up and up.
Ultimately, Mickey is the victim of a most elaborate scam with everybody in net on it. Which means entertaining revelations.
Though this film is quite interesting and entertaining, it would be interesting to see the complete film, The Convincer.
1. An entertaining film? Drama? Thriller? Cautionary tale?
2. The film edited down from its original form? The effect?
3. The locations, Florida and the sunshine and conventions, retirement? The snow and winters of Wisconsin? The locations in hotels, offices, the farmhouse, lakes and forests? The musical score?
4. The title, the literal meaning with the corpse? Mickey and his skating on thin ice throughout his life?
5. Mickey story? Greg Kinnear? Insurance, at the convention, a conman, his talking about making conversations, asking the time, moving the conversation into insurance issues? Targeting people?
6. The voice-over, the lecture, the conversations, talk about accidents? The conference? Meeting Bob? The issue of the job? Undercutting his boss? Bob agreeing? The awards?
7. The woman in the bar, drinking, talking, going to the room, the expense of the minibar, the sexual encounter, stealing his wallet, playing the casino with his card, the earing being returned? His need for cash, Bob helping him out? The job prospect?
8. His life, alone, separated from his wife, seeing her at work, her son, at the office, the assistant, giving her work, the raise? Mickey’s prospects?
9. Going with Bob to see Gorvey? Gorvey and his age, on the farm, his accent, the house, the dog, his TV, the insurance, the policy issues? Mickey and his visits, cutting Bob out? Gorvey becoming dependent on Mickey, the phone calls, fixing the TV? Frank and his neighbourliness, help? Randy coming for the alarm system, going in, the issue of the violin? Randy wanting to steal the clock? Frank coming in, Randy killing him, the blood, wrapping him in the tent, taking him to the ice, cutting through the ice, cutting him up, disposing of the body? Mickey, his alarm, simply wanting to get in to get the violin, his lies? Randy taking the photo, his hold over Mickey? Gorvey and his trip? Bob meeting him at the station?
10. Gorvey and his character, credible, the farm, his sister stuff in house, her death, the television, ups and downs with the policy, the information about the violin, the substitution, Gorvey wanting to go to Austria? Mickey and his spiel? The dog running away, Mickey finding the dog by the wayside?
11. The violin expert, his visit, the letters? Mickey visiting him, the down payment? The substitute violin? The appraisals and the rising value?
12. Randy, in prison, his character, rough, installing the alarm, trying to steal the clock, Mickey wanting to re-enter, giving him $20? Frank and his intrusion, his death? Randy and the disposal of the body? Mickey and the confrontation? Anxiety?
13. The later information, the spreading of the information Frank is the killer, the police, the discovery this false ID, his disappearance?
14. Mickey, his being puzzled, the police and the enquiries?
15. The revelation of the solution, the scam, everybody in on it, the woman at the casino, Bob, Frank, Gorvey, Randy, the violin expert? The real owners of the house coming home?
16. Mickey, with his wife, the earing coming from the casino, her leaving him? His secretary and her improvement? His decision to go to Florida and start again – and the spiel, talking to the potential customer?
