Rating of
3.5/4
Snow Angels - A showcase of master craftmanship!
Movies - wrote on 09/19/08
David Gordon Green makes an overwhelmingly powerful film about human relationships in Snow Angels. The film interweaves a couple of interesting plot lines, mostly to show the wide range of human relationships, and how each one is considerably different despite being put in the same town/city. Green decided to give certain plot line's more time than others, which was a wise choice because the most powerful one is wisely chosen as the film's strong and sturdy backbone.
Kate Beckinsale is the star and heart of the film. Her performance is Oscar worthy and deserves to be seen by all the doubters who saw Pearl Harbor or Underworld. Like many of the other performances in Snow Angels, Beckinsale's portrayal is two-dimensional, meaning her character is multi-layered, something I just can't get enough of in character driven films. She tackles all the adversity her character Annie brings to the table, from raising a young child, mostly alone to dealing with her eccentric husband and her love life, Beckinsale soars through the roof with each scene she embodies.
Sam Rockwell's portrayal marks the second milestone in acting careers reached in Snow Angels. Rockwell plays Glenn, the recently separated husband of Annie who, despite good intentions, seems to always hit the wrong note when faced with a critical moment throughout the film. Any other actor would probably have ruined the character, over-acting and not zoning in on what makes this character unique. This is another character who has more depth than what appears to be seen on the surface.
Olvia Thrilby shines as Lila, the heart-warming girlfriend to the emotionally conflicted Arthur, played by Michael Angarano who gives a stellar performance. Their plot is slightly down-played throughout the film, though it gains its power from the contrasting path in takes towards the end when compared to the main story that's put forth. Green captures what it feels like to be a teenager the most effectively since Frank the bunny rabbit touched screens in the cult favorite Donnie Darko. Though the films are completely different, it's the teen emotions that strike similarly when put side by side. The other supporting plots are very solid, including Arthur's parents recent separation and Annie's secret affair with her co-workers husband.
I have a feeling Snow Angels will be a film that's highly over-looked come Oscar time, although I hope I'm wrong. This should be a film that's cherished for years to come, and become better with age. With David Gordon Greens excellent direction and script, Beckinsale and Rockwell's marveling performances and a story that speaks volumes about human relationships makes Snow Angels one of the most powerful, and best films I've seen this year.
