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Snow Angels is a good little movie. If a tragic moment occurs in a film, it usually either occurs at the beginning, in order to set the grim mood for the rest of the movie, or at the end, in order to exert a tough emotional blow as part of the climax. Such is not the case in this movie, as the tragic event that serves as the story's centerpiece actually happens in the middle, and it's a wise choice because of the shifts we get to observe once the tragedy has taken place... that is NOT to suggest, though, that the film isn't grim prior to the tragedy because it sure as heck is, and it definitely isn't for everyone, especially those who are looking for something uplifting.
But if you're looking for a solid character study with truly excellent performances, then this is a pretty good choice. The two main storylines are those of Annie (Kate Beckinsale) and Arthur (Michael Angarano), and both are connected in several ways. Both characters actually have a relationship that is easily one of the most interesting aspects of the film. She was his babysitter, and he had a young boy crush on her, that still doesn't seem to have faded entirely. There's a nice scene in which he confides in the geeky Lila (Olivia Thirlby) a story in which he used his mom's makeup mirror to spy on Annie as she showered, and it is such a laid-back and sublime moment (rather than having the crass feeling that a moment like this would usually have). Indeed, Arthur's storyline is more interesting and compelling than Annie's. If you had given me a film that focused on the quirky romance that develops between Arthur and Lila, I likely would've loved it. The other storyline is simply too overstuffed with characters and plot developments. Especially problematic is the plot point involving Annie's ex-husband Glenn (Sam Rockwell) "finding Jesus" and the impact this has on the film. It feels misplaced, and it leads to a bit of a disappointing scene that involves a confrontation between husband and wife in the kitchen. Still, Beckinsale gives a wonderful performance (making up for a lot of the poor work she's done elsewhere) and Angarano is delightfully subdued and pensive as Arthur. In particular, the scenes between Arthur and Lila are really great, and this all develops FAR more realistically than your average high school romance.
This is definitely very different from the last film I saw from director David Gordon Green, which was the laugh riot Pineapple Express. Although Snow Angels is not as good a drama as Pineapple Express is a comedy, it is definitely better than the LAST drama I saw that was helmed by Green, which was All The Real Girls (a completely overrated movie, boring as heck, with only ONE scene that felt truly heartfelt and compelling, and that was the scene in the motel room). Snow Angels is a huge improvement as far as dramatic cinematic offerings are concerned; it's quite bleak, but it's also powerful at the same time, and sure to have a palpable emotional effect on many who choose to see it.
6/10
