Last night we went to River East 21 and saw “The Ice Harvest.” Hmm, middling. **1/2 out of ****. It was well-cast. I can’t conceive of any actor besides John Cusack who could play such a scumbag and still come off as charming. Billy Bob dug into his slimy con man role with relish and tossed in some amusing bits (most notably involving a locked trunk and a golf club). It definitely had its moments, both comedically and dramatically, and the Christmas Eve in Witchita setting was novel. But, in the end, it was just another film noir variation where everyone’s crooked and a lot of people get killed. The one really memorable performance came courtesy of Oliver Platt, playing Cusack’s very very drunk best friend who causes all manner of catastrophe over the course of the evening. The scene where he invades the family Christmas dinner and wrestles with a turkey leg was a highlight.

Worth a peek on a slow night, but if you’re looking for a dark holiday film then stick with “Bad Santa.” I wish “Syriana” had been playing instead.