Rate It
|
||||||||||||||||
Rating Averages
My Friends |
Not rated. () |
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
All Flixster |
(521) |
1094 |
618 |
Female |
(106) |
225 |
127 |
Male |
(415) |
869 |
491 |
More Like This
If you liked this, then you'll also probably like...
Got another recommendation for someone who liked this movie? Add it to the list!
Got an opinion? Use the buttons to vote on all the suggestions people have added.
If lots of people vote, the best suggestions will rise to the top.
This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!
Plot:
A young teen in the 1970s suffers through particularly difficult events during his adolescence: his family falling apart and the tragic death of his former babysitter. As an adult, he is often forced ...( read more 
)
Meet Other Fans
Recent Reviews
-
MCT:August 5, 2008David Gordon Green's "Snow Angels" is a mosaical slice of life in a small town (filmed in Nova Scotia). It concerns the converging lives of everyone from a young dishwasher in a Chinese restaurant (Michael Angarano) to his sexy coworker (Kate Beckinsale), a mom in the midst of a separation from her deadbeat, suicidal husband (Sam Rockwell), the dishwasher's classmate (Olivia Thirlby), and the co-worker (Amy Sedaris) and her unfaithful husband (Nicky Katt).
Green's fourth feature (after the superb "George Washington," "All the Real Girls" and "Undertow"; he has Judd Apatow's production "The Pineapple Express" coming in August!) is a powerful little movie based on the Stuart O'Nan novel.
The only confusing thing is that it seems to be set in the 70s or 80s, yet Beckinsale has a very new looking cellphone at one point. Anachronism?
Very good work on all accounts. -
MCT:August 2, 2008One of David Gordon Green's best films, and easily one of the best of 2008.
*Proper review soon (maybe) -
MCT:July 27, 2008
What an amazing, soul-captivating film. Throws you in the deepness of human patterns and tragedies from the first moment. Sam Rockwell gives a poignant, powerful performance. With the background of a snowy town, its citizens are destroyed piece by piece every moment, in what is for me, one of the most soul-stirring movies I have watched in my life. A movie that could not have a different ending but the one it had.
-
MCT:June 19, 2008
Tragic. There are few scenes in this film that run longer than 45 seconds (if that), but Green peppers them all with essential details before hopping to another character with another pivotal detail. It's a brisk, tense and depressing film loaded with exceptional acting -- Beckinsale and Rockwell give the best work of their careers. Angarano and Thirlby give the film its few fleeting moments of warmth -- a healthy young relationship surrounded by fucked-up adult nightmares. This one's excellent.
-
MCT:April 19, 2008
click for review
-
MCT:April 14, 2008Strong performances and direction find themselves guided into less fulfilling territory by film's end.
-
MCT:April 12, 2008
David Gordon Green has become a critical darling, one of the most acclaimed directors to emerge this decade and one of a few successful directors to thus far remain firmly rooted in independent cinema. I personally had a shaky start to exploring David Gordon Green?s films, as I initially had a strong negative reaction to his debut film George Washington, whose non-narrative structure caught me off guard. I revisited the film recently and had a much more positive reception to it, but would not say I loved it. My second try at George Washington did leave me with enough positive feelings for the filmmakers style to check out his sophomore effort All the Real Girls, a film I found to me much more interesting than his debut. However, I was not so thrilled with his third film Undertow which felt uneven and disorganized. Still, even when he failed for me it was clear that there was still a lot of talent in him and I was excited to see his latest film, Snow Angels.
The film is set in a small Pennsylvania town during the winter and revolves around a large ensemble. Annie (Kate Beckinsale) has recently separated from her alcoholic ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) and is raising a young child. Annie has been having an affair with Nate (Nicky Katt), who?s married to Barb (Amy Sedaris) who works with Annie at a local Chinese restaurant. Also working at this restaurant is Arthur Parkinson (Michael Angarano), a teenage busboy who Annie used to babysit when he was a child. Arthur has recently befriended Lila (Olivia Thirlby), the new girl in school who is something of a free spirit. Arthur?s own family is going through a tough divorce and he is finding himself trying to find a balance between his two parents.
That?s a lot of characters, a lot to set up, and a lot to introduce. This is the biggest challenge Green faces with this film, he has to introduce all that in a skillful way before he moves on with the main story which I?m reluctant to give away. I?m not really sure Green is ever able to overcome this challenge. Anyone who?s seen previous films from David Gordon Green knows that he works at a slow, natural pace and by the time everything is set up there really isn?t much time for the main story to unfold. This probably wasn?t a problem in Stewart O'Nan novel this film is adapted from, but screen time is more important that page count.
Additionally the two sides of the story always seem a bit uneven, the Arthur Parkinson character feels somewhat tangential to the story and if he was removed from the film it would have little effect on Annie?s story, while the reverse is not true. I haven?t read the O?Nan novel, but I have a hunch that it is largely about the Arthur character and his reactions to what happens to Annie, the movie however is not. The film does not center on a single perspective but shows all the events equally. Annie has more screen time simply because she is involved in more external action and her story dominates the film more so than Arthur.
Of course none of these flaws make themselves known while actually watching the film, much like other David Gordon Green films, this is feels really good while it?s being watched even if it doesn?t necessarily add up to the sun of its part. The film is so well made, so interesting that simply going along for the ride is enough of an experience to recommend the film.
The acting ensemble here is really great. Kate Beckinsale gives the performance of her career here as Annie, she?s an actress who has found herself in a lot of trashy Hollywood films, but this film proves that she has a real talent. Michael Angarano is also quite good, I think he may have a bright future ahead of him, as does Olivia Thirlby who had a small role in last year?s Juno. Nicky Katt and Amy Sedaris also give good performances, but the performance that really needs to be singled out is that of Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is one of the best character actors working today and here he?s able to take a character that easily could have been one dimensional and brought it to life in a great way.
Rockwell?s entire character is really interesting throughout the movie, our reaction to him is a case study in perception. There?s something a bit off about him but he seems like a pretty nice, slightly quirky guy. Annie?s fear of him and frequent dismissals of his attempts to bring the family together again seem unreasonable at first, but that?s because we don?t know him like she does. Glenn claims to be a born again Christian, but it becomes increasingly clear that alcohol still has a lot more control over him than Jesus.
David Gordon Green has moved beyond the Terrence Malick imitating he used to great effect in his first films, but that doesn?t mean Snow Angels is any less captivating. The film does have a narrative structure but there is still a real patience on display, a willingness to linger and to focus on things other directors would ignore. The technical elements are all at the top of their game; Tim Orr?s cinematography is as good as ever and the framing is great throughout.
This all plays into the film?s ultimate success. The story telling is so great that the film works in spite of itself. The same could be said of many other David Gordon Green movies, the guy has a real knack for making good movies that fail to be great in interesting ways. Someone with this much talent is bound to make something truly extraordinary eventually. This still isn?t his magnum opus, but his filmmaking just keeps getting better. -
MCT:April 9, 2008Depressing slice of life, no real action or suspense but brilliant performances on the part of the two main leads.... other characters are less developed. A couple of scenes really stand out...
-
MCT:April 3, 2008
'Snow Angels' is a film that may be the first 08 picture that will be Oscar friendly, based on a book by Stewart O'Nan. It is directed by David Gordon Green, and stars Sam Rockwell, Kate Beckinsale, and Michael Angarano.
The story follows the lives of several people, including Annie and Glenn (Rockwell), Arthur (Angrano) and his parents, and others as some relationships are built and others are destroyed.
The film has a strong real life feeling to it, based on some amazing writing by Green and great acting skills by the cast. There are scenes where Annie yells at her child that may seem to be out of place at first glance, but are actually amazing true-to-life ways to express how sometimes parents lose their tempers with their kids, how sometimes kids can try to push their parents' buttons, or play their parents against each other without even knowing it.
The acting is Oscar nods, the cast shows a wide range. . There are times when you love and sympathize with the characters, and there are times when you hate them so much your blood boils . By the end of the film, you feel drained, as if you just watched someone you love die.
The script is chock full of wit, life at its best and worst, The movie left me wishing I could watch it again.
The only problem I found i saw was in the detail of time set, from the use of cell phones vs 70's turntables. The mix of what time zone this story sometimes gets confusing.
Beckinsale is at her best here, This is one of her best movies.
This film is on screens now as I post this, and will be in wider release this spring.
I highly recommend this film.
Vmedia
Berkeley Ca UCB -
MCT:March 31, 2008I saw a preview of this movie on Jay Leno when Kate Beckinsale was on and it looks amazing just from that little bit.
-
MCT:March 24, 2008
The Cannibal Holocaust of Indie flicks, this is one bleak movie. However, it is a completely fascinating film filled with compelling characters and situations. It gives it's mission statement right at the beginning when a band leader tells his students, "All of you are important. All of you matter. Will you be my sledgehammers?"
This is a great portrait of American families that ranks with The Ice Storm and Junebug as consistently ringing true while still remaining a compelling drama. All the performances are perfect and it was great to see Niky Katt again. Sam Rockwell is great as usual and Kate Beckinsale truly surprised me. And don't worry too much about the teenage romance all the critics are ooing and aahing over, it's not sickening at all. -
MCT:March 20, 2008Haven't Field and Baumbach all ready beaten this horse into purgatory? Ebert comparing Green to Malick is sacrilege. He's a hack like all the rest. The dialogue, acting and cinematography literally induce nausea. I'm not a Sam Rockwell fan by any means, but he's the only thing this picture has going for it.
-
MCT:March 11, 2008
David Gordon Green has just proven to me that he maybe the most talented and diverse filmmaker that has yet to be make it big (Just a couple more months until The Pineapple Express). To think that this guy directed what has the promise to be the funniest comedy of the decade and the dark and beautiful masterpiece that is Snow Angels is somewhat unbelievable.
Everything about Gordon Green's film version of the wonderful novel feels realistic, honest and heart breaking (So of course everyone's going to see 10,000 B.C over this) Even when the film starts to drag (Which it does.) you still can see the film's damaged heart.
Now what makes this film as great as it is the flawless cast. Michael Angarano gives a strong breakthrough performance. Sam Rockwell is terrific as always (Let's hope between this and Choke this is the year he hits it big) However the 2 best performances comes from Kate Beckinsale and Olivia Thirbly. Beckinsale has always been an attractive actress that always did the best with the crap she worked on (Who remembers Van Healsing?) However it's here were she finally reaches her full acting potential creating powerful performance that if this film was released in November would have got her an oscar nom for sure. Now the best performance of the film comes from Olivia Thirbly. Unfairly overlooked for last year's Juno Thribly brings such warmth and beauty to the screen that you know it won't be long until she becomes the most respected actress of her generation.
It may seem to indie or ambitious to some but I ask you in a time of the year where ambition doesn't exist in most cinema, why bash a film that may have too much of it? -
MCT:March 3, 2008
Saw the previews for this at my second viewing of There Will Be Blood and got all excited-like. And...Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell.
-
MCT:February 7, 2008
OMFG!!!!! THIS LOOKS AMAZING!!!!!!!!! Sam Rockwell is one of the greatest actors alive... why can't people see that?
-
filmed in Nova Scotia, yahhh! havn't seen it but want to...I'd give it 5 stars just for Kate Beckinsale.
My Friends Said...
Snow Angels Recent Reviews
Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !
Comments
This board looks lonely. Be the first to talk about "Snow Angels" !
