Snow Angels
Reviews
Wuchak
_**Realistic and potent drama about relationships**_ Released in 2007, “Snow Angels” is a drama revolving around a handful of ordinary couples, young and older, in a Northeast hamlet at winter time (filmed in Nova Scotia). Some criticize that the film is depressing but it's inaccurate to say the WHOLE movie is depressing. Nor does it leave the viewer in a totally depressed state. There's a lot of beauty and hope amidst the shadows and darkness. Plus it leaves you pondering many things, including the numerous real-life people the characters remind you of. One of the storylines is tragic and depressing, no doubt, but that's not the whole focus of the story (although it is the dominant focus). The picture is about romantic relationships in various stages and whether they're successful or not depending upon their responses to the inevitable crises & temptations of life: Arthur and Lila's high school relationship is just budding and seems healthy and promising. Meanwhile Glenn and Annie's relationship has been devastated by Glenn's alcoholism and anger/obsession issues; Annie wants to move on but takes a foolish course of action. She's not only foolish, but also treacherous! Glenn is trying to recover from his personal demons, he even gets born-again, but for some reason he has a hard time getting over his ex and moving forward with life. His struggle between the positive and negative forces within us all is real. Both Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale are outstanding in their roles, Rockwell particularly so. In fact, I've hardly ever seen such a realistic and powerful performance. The viewer sees his sincere desire to improve his life but foolish and selfish temptations manifest when he's faced with rejection and tragedy. Will he take the wise or foolish path? Elsewhere Nate and Barb's relationship hits its first major crisis: Nate is discovered to be unfaithful. Barb responds with fierce anger, at first, until a tragedy shows her true angelic nature. Arthur's parents separate but maybe there's still hope for their relationship and family. Glenn's parents are in the latter stage of a committed relationship, which seems to have been successful. Glenn's loving & loyal retriever is the anithesis of Annie, who treats Glenn with hostility and desires to move on in life, away from him; although this is understandable, the viewer can't help but empathize and root for Glenn in light of his sincere attempts to improve his life and reconcile with his ex. After all, he's genuine & humble, he loves his daughter (and vice versa) and he's not an unfaithful scumbag. Pay attention to the very last scene to discover the fate of Bomber. Take note of the scene where one of the main characters takes down a painting of the cross and there's a kid's handprint on the wall accompanied by the word "me.” This signifies the turn he's decided to make. The film leaves the viewer with hope despite the foolish, tragic and criminal events — hope that love will triumph, a certain couple will stay together and a youthful couple will make wise decisions and overcome the potential pitfalls that destroy others. It could go either way. Yes, the young couple looks happy and natural together, but every couple is like that in the early years of their relationship. Although the movie shows someone’s hostility toward another, it’s revealed that the person in question used to help the other person focus on the positive side of life and the support was always comforting. A young character is shown flirting with alcohol and pot; not all people get thrown off-track by flirting with such things, I know, but one main character obviously did. Will he? Only time and wrong or right choices will answer these questions. After seeing the film I read a story about a recent incident in Arizona that mirrors the main storyline in the film. It happens. "Snow Angels" is reality. Once seen, you'll never forget it. Some will treasure it. My only complaint is that sometimes the camera bobbles around too much, which smacks of amateurishness. I realize the director was trying to be hip or whatever but the camera should never draw attention to itself. Fads pass away while solid filmmaking endures. The movie runs 1 hour, 47 minutes. GRADE: A-
Movie Recommendation
United 932006-04-28A real-time account of the events on United Flight 93, one of the planes hijacked on 9/11 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania when passengers foiled the terrorist plot.More...
Whiteout2009-09-09The only U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica, Carrie Stetko will soon leave the harsh environment behind for good – in three days, the sun will set and the Amundsen-Scott Research Station will shut down for the long winter. When a body is discovered out on the open ice, Carrie's investigation into the continent's first homicide plunges her deep into a mystery that may cost her her own life.More...
Undertow2004-10-22The Munns, father John and sons Chris and Tim, recede to the woods of rural Georgia. Their life together is forever changed with the arrival of Uncle Deel, though the tragedy that follows forces troubled Chris to become a man.More...
Last Man Club2016-05-27A WW2 veteran destined for life in a retirement home escapes his difficult family situation and embarks on a cross country adventure to find the last remaining members of his B-17 bomber crew with the help of a beautiful accomplice.More...
Hellraiser1987-09-11Hedonist Frank Cotton finds a mysterious puzzle box that summons the Cenobites, who open the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible.More...
Mad Max: Fury Road2015-05-13An apocalyptic story set in the furthest reaches of our planet, in a stark desert landscape where humanity is broken, and most everyone is crazed fighting for the necessities of life. Within this world exist two rebels on the run who just might be able to restore order.More...
Parasite2019-05-30All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.More...
Lady Bird2017-09-01Lady Bird McPherson, a strong willed, deeply opinionated, artistic 17 year old comes of age in Sacramento. Her relationship with her mother and her upbringing are questioned and tested as she plans to head off to college.More...
Rear Window1954-08-01A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.More...
Black Swan2010-12-03The story of Nina, a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her retired ballerina mother Erica who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When artistic director Thomas Leroy decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice.More...
Psycho1960-06-22When larcenous real estate clerk Marion Crane goes on the lam with a wad of cash and hopes of starting a new life, she ends up at the notorious Bates Motel, where manager Norman Bates cares for his housebound mother.More...
Baby Driver2017-06-28After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.More...
Notting Hill1999-05-21London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.More...
The Danish Girl2015-11-27When Gerda Wegener asks her husband Einar to fill in as a portrait model, Einar discovers the person she's meant to be and begins living her life as Lili Elbe. Having realized her true self and with Gerda's love and support, Lili embarks on a groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.More...
The Imitation Game2014-11-14Based on the real life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing, the film portrays the nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers at Britain's top-secret Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II.More...
Going in Style2017-04-06Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, three lifelong pals risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.More...
Marriage Story2019-09-28A stage director and an actress struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal extremes.More...
Interstellar2014-11-05The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.More...
Léon: The Professional1994-09-14Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.More...
Fury2014-10-15In the last months of World War II, as the Allies make their final push in the European theatre, a battle-hardened U.S. Army sergeant named 'Wardaddy' commands a Sherman tank called 'Fury' and its five-man crew on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Outnumbered and outgunned, Wardaddy and his men face overwhelming odds in their heroic attempts to strike at the heart of Nazi Germany.More...
Similar Movies
Short Cuts
1993-10-01Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather tells his son, Howard, about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.Our Hospitality
1923-11-19A young man falls for a young woman on his trip home; unbeknownst to him, her family has vowed to kill every member of his family.A Streetcar Named Des...
1951-09-19A disturbed, aging Southern belle moves in with her sister for solace — but being face-to-face with her brutish brother-in-law accelerates her downward spiral.Together
2000-08-25Elisabeth leaves her abusive and drunken husband Rolf, and goes to live with her brother, Göran. The year is 1975 and Göran lives in a commune called Together. Living in this leftist commune Elisabeth learns that the world can be viewed from different perspectives.The Last Emperor
1987-10-04A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.Little Miss Sunshine
2006-07-26A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.Blue Velvet
1986-09-19The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.City of Angels
1998-04-10When a guardian angel – who invisibly watches over the citizens of Los Angeles – becomes captivated by a strong-willed heart surgeon, he ponders trading in his pure, otherworldly existence for a mortal life with his beloved. The couple embarks on a tender but forbidden romance spanning heaven and Earth.Lolita
1962-06-13Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged British novelist who is both appalled by and attracted to the vulgarity of American culture. When he comes to stay at the boarding house run by Charlotte Haze, he soon becomes obsessed with Lolita, the woman's teenaged daughter.The Music Room
1958-10-10An aging, decadent landlord’s passion for music becomes the undoing of his legacy as he sacrifices his wealth in order to compete with the opulent music room of his younger, richer neighbour.The Assassination of ...
2004-05-17It’s 1974 and Sam Bicke has lost everything. His wife leaves him with his three kids, his boss fires him, his brother turns away from him, and the bank won’t give him any money to start anew. He tries to find someone to blame for his misfortunes and comes up with the President of the United States who he plans to murder.The Tin Drum
1979-05-02Oskar Matzerath is a very unusual boy. Refusing to leave the womb until promised a tin drum by his mother, Agnes, Oskar is reluctant to enter a world he sees as filled with hypocrisy and injustice, and vows on his third birthday to never grow up. Miraculously, he gets his wish. As the Nazis rise to power in Danzig, Oskar wills himself to remain a child, beating his tin drum incessantly and screaming in protest at the chaos surrounding him.Little Peach
1958-05-13Anzukko (Little Peach) is the daughter of a successful writer. She turns down each one of her suitors, until she marries a beginning writer named Ryokichi. Their life quickly sinks into despair.Gheisar
1969-12-31A young man's drive to avenge for his sister and brother.Has Anybody Seen Phil...
1989-01-31Phil, a teenager, disappears and his friend Danny talks to people in town in an attempt to locate him. Danny learns that Phil was under enormous stress from his parents, football coach and teachers.Wilbur Wants to Kill ...
2002-11-08The strange comedy film of two close brothers; one, Wilbur, who wants to kill himself, and the other, Harbour, who tries to prevent this. When their father dies leaving them his bookstore they meet a woman who makes their lives a bit better yet with a bit more trouble as well.The Party
1980-12-17A thirteen-year-old French girl deals with moving to a new city and school in Paris, while at the same time her parents are getting a divorce.The Party 2
1982-12-08A young French teenage girl after moving to a new city falls in love with a boy and is thinking of having sex with him because her girlfriends have already done it.The Big Blue
1988-05-10Two men answer the call of the ocean in this romantic fantasy-adventure. Jacques and Enzo are a pair of friends who have been close since childhood, and who share a passion for the dangerous sport of free diving. Professional diver Jacques opted to follow in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy; to the bewilderment of scientists, Jacques harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing pattern in the water, so that his vital signs more closely resemble that of dolphins than men. As Enzo persuades a reluctant Jacques to compete against him in a free diving contest -- determining who can dive deeper and longer without scuba gear -- Jacques meets Johana, a beautiful insurance investigator from America, and he finds that he must choose between his love for her and his love of the sea.Boys Don't Cry
1999-09-02A young transgender man explores his gender identity and searches for love in rural Nebraska.