Mickey, Mickey...what a prick you are! Greg Kinnear is fantastic in this film. He makes you practically hate this guy Mickey but plays the character so well that you actually feel bad for him as things develop. Billy Crudup is superb as well as the great Alan Arkin and Lea Thompson. Wish her character could have been developed more.The way this movie progresses it's in such a away there's two levels of patience required to fully enjoy it. This cast is incredible, actors actors. Granted, rumors have pointed towards this film being cut by twenty minutes from the original writer/director cut and these minutes carried character and story development, I'm sure. Either way the performances and hanging in there to watch the whole thing, it's worth it. With all the below average movies out there, this one was really good.

Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is a small-time insurance agent looking for a way to jump-start his business, reunite with his estranged wife (Lea Thompson) and escape the frigid Wisconsin weather. This self-proclaimed master of spin believes that salesmanship is about selling a story — all he needs is a sucker willing to buy it. He hits pay dirt with a lonely retired farmer (Alan Arkin) who is sitting on something much bigger than an insurance commission. But Mickey's attempt to con the old man spins out of control when a nosy, unstable locksmith (Billy Crudup) with a volatile temper dramatically ups the stakes, trapping him in a spiral of danger, deceit and double-crossing. Blending dark comedy and delirious Midwestern noir, THIN ICE reaches a breaking point that no one — least of all Mickey Prohaska — could ever see coming. I thought this movie was very entertaining. I loved the ending.

I really liked this movie.It did remind me of Fargo in some ways and Greg Kinear was excellent as the bumbling,slightly crooked insurance agent.There were many twists and turns as the plot unfolded.It plays out in a manner that leads you to believe very bad things are in store for most of the characters.Of course, the old man with the valuable violin seems to be the perfect foil as the story develops.Instead of a simple case of theft,things turn violent with the appearance of the security system installer.Our insurance agent continues his string of bad luck and personal disasters as the story leads to murder,a ice burial and a missing violin.The violin has suddenly become worth 1.25 million and our hero keeps finding ways to screw up his theft.As the movie climaxes,we learn the whole thing is a well designed sting that leaves our cheating insurance man holding the bag.As the movie ends,he is a whole lot poorer but reverting back to his roots.I found the movie to be very enjoyable and full of interesting twists and turns.The acting was very believable and I would highly recommend this movie.

This is a flawed but still watchable film that seems to steal characters and plot from the Coen Brothers' Fargo, yet manages to succeed. At least to an extent.The problem may be - as we were told at our cinema previewing club - that the director lost final cut here, and found herself with a movie she no longer can even comment on, with 15 minutes cut, the film re-edited, and a score she never intended - and one that doesn't work well.The result is a somewhat uneven, too dark black comedy. Or is it a drama? Or perhaps a "caper" movie? I'm not quite sure.When it comes to the acting, though, this is a great film. Greg Kinnear plays a character too reminiscent of Wm. H. Macy's turn in Fargo, but he makes the most of it, though - team player that he is - he's outshone by more spectacular performances. Alan Arkin, for one, who also did it to Kinnear in Little Miss Sunshine. But the "steal the show" performance is by Billy Crudup, always sexy (my wife says he's "hot") and interesting to watch, and here at his very best. Bob Balaban is spot on as a violin dealer, and the rest of the cast is excellent.Worth seeing for many, but mostly for those performances.