Thin Ice (2010) Reviews

A salesman in a slump turns to a life of crime in this comedy-drama from filmmaker Jill Sprecher. Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) is an insurance salesman living and working in rural Wisconsin. Mickey likes to believe that he's a talented salesman who can talk anyone in to buying a policy, but the truth is his career has hit the skids, he's struggling to make ends meet, and his divorce from his wife Jo Ann (Lea Thompson) has shaken his confidence. Mickey and his new partner Bob Egan (David Harbour) are able to sell a policy to elderly farmer Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin), though Gorvy seems more interested in having someone come by and fix his television than discussing his financial future. One day, Mickey is paying Gorvy a visit when he makes a remarkable discovery -- the old violin in his living room is a vintage one worth $30,000. Seeing an easy payday, Mickey begins hatching a scheme to get the instrument away from Gorvy and into the hands of a violin dealer, but his plan gets more complicated at every turn and eventually goes from difficult to dangerous. Also starring Bob Balaban and Billy Crudup, The Convincer (aka Thin Ice) was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi