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FIRST
SNOW |
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B |
Any movie with Guy Pearce has got to be good,
right? First Snow was good, but not great. It had enormous potential,
and in some respects lived up to the unusually high standards
I held it to. I admit I may be biased, but I thought Guy Pearce
did great as usual. His character seemed believable (albeit
a big over the top at times) and went through some amazing changes
throughout the story. The cinematography was fantastic, showing
environments and portraying emotions with deadly accuracy. The
scene where he locked himself in the hotel room during the “first
snow” was beautifully done and had me clinching the arm
of the couch. The obvious downside to the movie, and what ultimately
prevented it from receiving a better review, was the entire
premise of the fortune teller seeing his death.
This was supposed to be a serious drama/thriller, but I couldn’t
help shake my head during some of the fortune teller scenes.
Not to mention the story seemed to revolve around his relationship
with his long time friend (just released from prison), and not
around the crack-pot in the trailer. They should have scrapped
the fortune teller and focused more on the crazy guy trying
to kill him. That alone would have yielded this movie a higher
rating. Regardless, it’s worth a watch for the above reasons,
and definitely worth a watch if you’re a Guy Pearce fan. |
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C+ |
Scott and I are both Guy Pearce fans so we hoped
for nothing more than a good performance from him. And that
is pretty much what First Snow delivered. I think Pearce played
it well considering the plot didn’t take the audience
on much of a ride. A hillbilly fortune teller shows some skill
but not everything is good news. Cue the paranoia onset and
mix in one crazy best friend fresh out of prison that still
holds a grudge from when Pearce gave him up. The only problem
is, the most interesting part of the story, the supposed predictable
and unavoidable demise of the main character, seems to be discarded
in favor of the conflict between old friends. Still, the story
remains interesting throughout and the camera shot of Pearce
standing in the middle of pure white snow symbolizing his “awakening”
will be remembered.
Side Notes: I have begun to enjoy J.K. Simmons surprise roles
including Ellen Page’s father in Juno. Director Mark Fergus
co-wrote the upcoming Iron Man.
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