REVIEW RE-VISIT: Snow Angels

Snow Angels

Rated R

Running time: 1 hr 46 minutes

Cast:

Sam Rockwell
Kate Beckinsale
Michael Angarano
Olivia Thirlby

Critical Consensus:

***1/2 out of *****
(67% Fresh Rating!)

Matt's Take:

A

Mikey @ The Movies Official Rating:

***** out of *****

The premise:

A drama that interweaves the life of a teenager, with his old baby sitter, her estranged husband, and their daughter.

MY REVIEW

I saw Snow Angels much earlier in the year at an independent theater in Scottsdale. It never played in any mainstream theaters, mainly becuase it did not perform well enough, money wise at the Indi theater. Snow Angels was just recently released on DVD, therefore prompting me to revist this film review in hopes to give it some very much needed promotion. At almost nine months into this year, Snow Angels at this point for me, is 2008's finest film.

The film is based off a best selling novel of the same name, written by Stewart O'Nan and the movie was written and directed by David Gordon Green. Green came out with another film later in the year called Pineapple Express. A far gap in greatness and storyline seperates the two movies. This movie tells the story of six people who live unfulfilling and for some, depressed lives in a little town. Their stories all have some greater connection to eachother, but the movie mainly focuses on four of these characters. At the start of the film, we see a normal day in this town, a high school band practices on the football field, when all that is distrupted by a distant gun shot. And then another shot. The rest of the movie shows us the events that lead up to those shots.

I've never seen such a movie that spends so much time and so much effort on it's characters. Even with character study films like Magnolia or Crash (both phenomenal films!), theres just to many individul characters to look at, we never get a true and deep insight into each one. Snow Angels is able to do that.

First we have the character of Arthur, played by young actor Michael Angarano (TV's Will & Grace, The Forbidden Kingdom). He is a quiet high school student, he is part of the high school band, and is friends with one of those outcast kids who still thinks they are the coolest thing on Earth. He smokes pot, watches porn, secretly drinks in his room; an almost typical high school kid. He lives with his mother, played by Jeanetta Arnette (Pineapple Express) who recently seperated from her husband played by Griffin Dunne. This family struggles together, and Arthur tries to cope but acts like he doesn't care. He meets an outcast, kind of nerdy girl at school played by Olivia Thirlby (Juno).

The two of them meet up several times at school, and eventually some romantic sparks fly between them. The story of Arthur and Lilly may very well be one of the most sincere and touching "love" stories in recent film. The film does an excellent job at not throwing it in our faces right off the bat that these two like eachother. This romantic story is so subtle but you just know whats blossoming, even if they don't realize it. It's realistic and beautiful in a way. So many romantic comedies and dramas out there, but none touch on the subject as well as this film does with these two teenage characters. Angarano and Thirlby, for being such young and inexperienced actors, deliver some of the best supporting performances of 2008. So much realism and heart in their acting here, such a great job.
Arthur's path connects him to Annie, a waitress he works with and also used to be his babysitter he had the hots for, played by Kate Beckinsale (Vacancy, Click). She's a single mother, recently seperated from her husband Glenn played by Sam Rockwell (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Galaxy Quest). She finds herself in an adulturous situation, sleeping with a married man in a hotel room from time to time. She has problems raising her daughter, struggles with her mother, and is battling her ex in a emotional war.

Glenn's story is the films finest piece. His wife left him, and he struggled with it. He went to drinking, and eventually tried killing himself by driving off a bridge. He miracuously survived, and his outlook on life was forever changed. He found Jesus, he found God and became a devout Christian. He tries so hard to change his life by making it better. He wants to prove to Annie that he can be a good husband and father (they have a little girl together). Glenn's story is so incredibly moving that at many times in the film, it nearly brought me to tears. There is a breathtaking and wonderfully moving scene where he gives a speech to the man his wife is sleeping with. It's about how he found Jesus and how he realized his life wasn't just about him. I won't lie, that scene get's me every time, and makes me all teary eyed.

Rockwells shares scenes with his daughter character. His character is trying to prove himself that he is good father, and he completely displays that in the movie. The scenes between these two are some of the most real feeling and sweetest moments I've seen in a film. It's heartbraking to watch because you feel so bad for Rockwells character, and you really want him to live well. Very touching scenes.

The rest of the film follows these characters and their struggle and their hardships and even their high moments. An event happens around the halfway mark of this movie, that for me was extremely difficult to watch. Even watching it again on DVD, I had to struggle not to cry. It's by far one of the most emotional and saddest moments in a film I've had to bare witness to. It hits you right in the heart and resonates throughouth the rest of the movie. We have seen scenes like this in movies all the time, but never has it been done so realistically. When you have a bunch of characters who are very true to life people, and are written as if it was a documentary, scenes like this will affect you in so many ways.


The movie is wonderfully directed by Green. Such a simple, but raw style that focuses on people and not artsy shots and big budget scenes. It was perfectly edited, great camera work, a beautiful musical score, just a solidly well made film.

The performances are top notch and at this point, are some of the best of the year. I never have given any credit to Kate Beckinsale as an actress, but man did she prove me wrong here. Just a superb job this time around. You never really like this character as a person, but you ultimately feel bad for her, and Beckinsale does a stand up job at bringing this character to life. Really great! The star of the film, performance wise was definitley Sam Rockwell. I never would have imagined he'd be capable of this. His performance has stuck in my mind since I first saw it, and I really don't see anyone overtaking him. Such a heartbraking and moving performance that just get's to me everytime. This is by far his greatest achievment. Awesome, awesome job!!

This is one of the best, if not THE best screenplay of this year. It is beautifully written. The movie shows us people who struggle with internal battles as well as battles with relationships, romantic or friendly. I've never seen a movie that demonstrates human character and human flaw as well as Snow Angels does. Such a true, and realistic look into what we are all capable of doing. These flaws that these characters possess, we all do too. The actions some of these people take, sadly we are all capable of doing to ourselves and one another. We have all emotionally damaged ourselves or someone else at one point in our lives, or we will at some point later on. We have all been dissapointed in ourselves or been dissapointed by a friend or family member. What this movie does, is perfectly captures the essence of human nature and the highs and lows of human bonding. We can all watch this movie and take something away from it. We could learn a thing or two about our own inner selves.

Please, rent this movie. Don't be put off by the fact it's an independent drama with a cast you may not be all that familiar with. Sometimes, those are the greatest movies, the ones you never knew about. Well now you know about it. There is more to movie life out there than films like The Dark Knight (On the other side of the spectrum, that is probably the second best film of 2008) or movies like Rambo or Kung Fu Panda or Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Some of those, good movies, but I'm telling you there is so much more out there in movies like Snow Angels. Please go rent it if you can. This is one of the BEST and most realistic dramatic films I've ever seen! I don't think you will be dissapointed. You have my word!


To view this film's theatrical trailer, click this link: Snow Angels

*This was the 30th new film I saw and reviewed this year.

*This film is now on DVD.