Thin Ice

In Movie Theaters February 17, 2012

The About face: 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.

The Wild side: Mickey Prohaska (Oscar nominee Greg Kinnear, As Good As It Gets) 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 (Oscar winner Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine) 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 madcap spiral of danger, deceit and double-crossing.

Blending dark comedy and delirious Midwestern noir, the independent movie Thin Ice reaches a breaking point that no one -- least of all Mickey Prohaska -- could ever see coming.

The Movie facts: Two movies released the same day have similar - and confusing - titles. This, Thin Ice. And On The Ice.

Cast: Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup, David Harbour, Lea Thompson, Bob Balaban
Director: Jill Sprecher
Movie Studio: ATO Pictures
Rating: R (For violence, language, sexual situations)