Thin Ice (2011)
"The Convincer" (original title)

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

Writers:

Jill Sprecher, Karen Sprecher

Stars:

Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Lea Thompson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greg Kinnear	...	Mickey Prohaska
John Paul Gamoke	...	Man at Coffee Shop
David Harbour	...	Bob Egan
Jennifer Edwards-Hughes	...	Sherri (as Jennifer M. Edwards)
Scott Crouch	...	Casino Emcee
Peter Moore	...	Phil Peters
Michelle Hutchison	...	Judy Vandenhoevel
James Detmar	...	Glen Vandenhoevel
Michael Paul Levin	...	Chuck Stankel
Kathryn Lawrey	...	Hotel Clerk
Joe Minjares	...	Hotel Manager
Michelle Arthur	...	Karla Gruenke
Peter Thoemke	...	Frank Richie
Alan Arkin	...	Gorvy Hauer
Lea Thompson	...	Jo Ann Prohaska

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

salesman | title directed by female

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Taglines:

Greetings from Kenosha, WI! Where ordinary folks can make a killing.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, and brief violent and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

ATO Pictures [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Thin Ice

Filming Locations:

Stillwater, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$183,527 (USA) (17 February 2012)

Gross:

$789,752 (USA) (18 May 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ATO Pictures, Werc Werk Works, Spare Room Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The violin shop featured in the film, Dahl Violins, is an actual violin shop in downtown Minneapolis. In the film, the shop is supposed to be located in Chicago. However, when Mickey and Randy break into the shop at night, the skyline which is prominently featured in the scene's initial shot is obviously Minneapolis, not Chicago.

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Soundtracks

"Leave Our Worries"
Written by Christopher A. Corley and Jon D'Agostino
Performed by Serendipity
Published by Astonishing Music (BMI) /
Music Expressions ASCAP
Courtesy of Crucial Music

User Reviews

not good enough..

www.Ramascreen.com --

Great performances, average movie, that's basically what you can take away from THIN ICE, which wants to be taken seriously as a Midwestern con flick with a bit of Coens' Fargo feel to it but the way it reveals itself at the end is so abrupt and hasty, it jams itself down the audience's throat and it doesn't care whether or not the audience is fully prepared for it just yet. Interesting concept, a con film through the eyes of the marked man, but interesting at best is what this film would have to settle for…

Greg Kinnear is a fantastic actor, I think I find myself saying that about all of his previous performances. There are certain occupations out there that are not liked by general public, lawyers and insurance agents are examples, and Kinnear plays an agent who's also a compulsive liar and he sees a golden opportunity that could be used to his advantage. The story is basically told through his perspective, his character, Mickey, is not necessarily a protagonist but then again, the story doesn't actually have a protagonist to root for, because even the ones that get away with the prize don't grant themselves something likable, and because Micky finds himself digging deeper and deeper into problems with every unwise choice he makes, part of you would feel a bit sorry for the fella. As I said earlier, THIN ICE sorta takes style from Coen Bros' crime drama/thriller/comedy, even Mickey reminds me of Michael Stuhlbarg's character in A Serious Man, situations for them just worsen, no matter what they do, there'd be times when they think they've got it all figured out but they actually don't.

One credit I'd give THIN ICE is that unless somebody tells you that it's a con film, you probably wouldn't have guessed it from the get-go but halfway trough the film, you can kinda start sensing something's off and start piecing it together. I'm a tropical boy, so I can only imagine how uncomfortable it must've been for Arkin, Kinnear, and Crudup to be out there in dead winter, I'd freeze my ass off and wouldn't be able to say my lines correctly. I think the film was poorly edited and it could've used a more chilling score. Crudup is a treat to watch here because his character is unpredictable, unstable, psycho scary and because of that he also comes off funny, I've never seen Crudup this way on screen and so to see him do it so well, is refreshing, definitely not an actor you'd underestimate. Perhaps if the writers, the Sprechers, where to give Mickey more depth, thus allowing Kinnear to showcase more. That would certainly compensate for everything else that's lackluster about THIN ICE.

-- www.Ramascreen.com --