Snow Angels (2008) ****
David Gordon Green's big breakthrough may have come in the Apatow produced Pineapple Express, but his real achievement is a small movie that only a few people saw. Working from a novel by Stuart O'Nann, Green adapted and directed the gut wrenching Snow Angels, which premiered last year at Sundance but did not get a release until earlier this year.
Green has quietly built up his resume on the indie circuit, gaining admiration from many with George Washington and his follow up All the Real Girls. He hit a bit of a critical snag with Undertow, although personally I feel that that film was a masterpiece. Snow Angels was his comeback.
The film centers on a group of small townsfolk. Arthur (Angarano) is a teenager stuck in the middle of his parents' separation, while negotiating the adolescent waters of first love with Lila (Thirlby). Annie (Beckinsale), Arthur's former babysitter, is embroiled in an affair with a co-worker and friend's husband (Katt). Her estranged husband, Glen (Rockwell), is back in town as a reformed alcoholic and reborn Christian trying to make his life work and get not only his daughter, but his wife back in his life. These tales are weaved together in circumstances of great tragedy and sad existence. If it were not for the incredibly touching story with Arthur and Lila, this may well have simply been too depressing to bear.
Make no mistakes this is a sad, sad movie about lives in despair and love in decline. Devastating things happen to these people. Glen's story is especially heartbreaking. He quickly falls off the wagon, and his pain is understandable, even if it might be of his own doings. He tries to make things right, but is met with obstacles, not least of which Annie. She's bitter with him, and in ways, entirely centered on herself. But to lay blame on individuals is impossible. They're simply the victims of circumstances in life which have spiraled out of control.
Tim Orr is, as always, Green's right hand man. His photographic style is always stunning in its desolation. His focus is always on the small things, the desolate, and the real. The big difference this time is that the setting is not the muggy south, but the snowy north. Green traveled up to my stomping ground, shooting the film in and around Halifax and its outlying small towns. Not to toot a horn, but personally I think our scenery is beautiful, especially snow covered, and that shines through in Snow Angels.
Green always keeps his films in a low key (save Pineapple Express). Snow Angels is no exception. He has the eyes and ears for how these kinds of people speak and act. That his films are so grounded in realism makes them that much more tragic and touching. His All the Real Girls was one of the finest examples of youthful realism I've ever seen. He once stated that he wanted Blockbuster to have to create a separate genre section the kinds of films he wanted to make. They frequently contain moments of gut busting humour within an overarching subtle (or not so subtle, depending on the film) pathos. Personally, I hope he sticks to his base of small personal stories. Moreover, I hope that his ventures into mainstream earn him some recognition. Not that people are going to Apatow comedies for the directors (although I did, but I likely would have went anyway), but hopefully at least a few people are clicking his name as they browse the IMDb page for Pineapple Express.
David Gordon Green's big breakthrough may have come in the Apatow produced Pineapple Express, but his real achievement is a small movie that only a few people saw. Working from a novel by Stuart O'Nann, Green adapted and directed the gut wrenching Snow Angels, which premiered last year at Sundance but did not get a release until earlier this year.
Green has quietly built up his resume on the indie circuit, gaining admiration from many with George Washington and his follow up All the Real Girls. He hit a bit of a critical snag with Undertow, although personally I feel that that film was a masterpiece. Snow Angels was his comeback.
The film centers on a group of small townsfolk. Arthur (Angarano) is a teenager stuck in the middle of his parents' separation, while negotiating the adolescent waters of first love with Lila (Thirlby). Annie (Beckinsale), Arthur's former babysitter, is embroiled in an affair with a co-worker and friend's husband (Katt). Her estranged husband, Glen (Rockwell), is back in town as a reformed alcoholic and reborn Christian trying to make his life work and get not only his daughter, but his wife back in his life. These tales are weaved together in circumstances of great tragedy and sad existence. If it were not for the incredibly touching story with Arthur and Lila, this may well have simply been too depressing to bear.
Make no mistakes this is a sad, sad movie about lives in despair and love in decline. Devastating things happen to these people. Glen's story is especially heartbreaking. He quickly falls off the wagon, and his pain is understandable, even if it might be of his own doings. He tries to make things right, but is met with obstacles, not least of which Annie. She's bitter with him, and in ways, entirely centered on herself. But to lay blame on individuals is impossible. They're simply the victims of circumstances in life which have spiraled out of control.
Tim Orr is, as always, Green's right hand man. His photographic style is always stunning in its desolation. His focus is always on the small things, the desolate, and the real. The big difference this time is that the setting is not the muggy south, but the snowy north. Green traveled up to my stomping ground, shooting the film in and around Halifax and its outlying small towns. Not to toot a horn, but personally I think our scenery is beautiful, especially snow covered, and that shines through in Snow Angels.
Green always keeps his films in a low key (save Pineapple Express). Snow Angels is no exception. He has the eyes and ears for how these kinds of people speak and act. That his films are so grounded in realism makes them that much more tragic and touching. His All the Real Girls was one of the finest examples of youthful realism I've ever seen. He once stated that he wanted Blockbuster to have to create a separate genre section the kinds of films he wanted to make. They frequently contain moments of gut busting humour within an overarching subtle (or not so subtle, depending on the film) pathos. Personally, I hope he sticks to his base of small personal stories. Moreover, I hope that his ventures into mainstream earn him some recognition. Not that people are going to Apatow comedies for the directors (although I did, but I likely would have went anyway), but hopefully at least a few people are clicking his name as they browse the IMDb page for Pineapple Express.