Snow Cake (2007)

"Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man', look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump'? Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There". Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam". Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed." - Kirk Lazarus"Snow Cake" stars Sigourney Weaver as an autistic woman living in small town Canada. She's visited by Alex Hughes, played by Alan Rickman, who informs her that he is indirectly responsible for her daughter dying in a car accident. Hughes, we learn, has also recently lost his son.After a strong opening act, the film mostly becomes contrived and poorly acted, a kind of low-rent "Truly Madly Deeply" (also with Rickman) or "The Sweet Hereafter". Weaver in particular never convinces as an autistic woman and Rickman overdoes his "miserable Brit" shtick. Still, the film offers some scenic snow-swept locations and director Marc Evens gives his tale an interesting structure. Weaver's autistic character, who is shockingly cold and blunt, is incapable of feeling grief, seems as frozen as the landscape outside, whilst Rickman can't let go of his various guilts and grievances. A third character, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, is as cold as Weaver, refusing to get close to human beings. By the film's end, of course, our characters change. Rickman stops grieving, learns to toughen up, whilst Moss and Weaver show emotional cracks.7.5/10 – Worth one viewing.

sensitive and thoughtful film about a gentle ex-con (a sturdy but evenly tempered Alan Rickman) and his encounter with a high functioning woman with autism (Sigourney Weaver) in the Canadian suburbs. A bit contrived at points, but in the hands of these two the human drama shines through the contrivances. As always, for any actor playing someone with disabilities, it is hard to know whether Weaver's character is spot-on or over-played for the sake of camera. Remains more character/actor driven than involving for the audience, but still worth a watch. This film does not try to be more than what it is, which is a slice of 'life cake'.

In reviewing this movie, the first thing that has to be mentioned are the great performances from the two leads: Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Weaver was absolutely unbelievable as Linda Freeman, a woman suffering from autism who is confronted by her daughter's death in a car accident, while Rickman was almost as good (almost because he has a less demanding role) as Alex Hughes (the man who was driving the car in which Linda's daughter was killed.) After the accident, Alex takes it upon himself to visit Linda, and the movie basically follows the relationship the two develop. That, mind you, may be the movie's greatest weakness. I didn't really see either purpose or closure to this. Yes, we watch the relationship evolve, but personally I didn't think either Linda or Alex ever really moved on. I'm not sure after watching this what I wanted them to do, but everything in the end seemed so unresolved. Yes, I learned a lot about living with autism - and Weaver apparently researched the role studiously - but I still kept wondering where this was going and I never really got an answer.Having said that, this was still an enjoyable movie because of Weaver and Rickman, although I confess that I did wonder why - in a Canadian/British production - the need was felt to cast an American actress in the lead role? I appreciated the setting of the movie. Having lived a few years in Northern Ontario, the "feel" seemed realistic, with perhaps the one exception being the reaction of the neighbours to Linda dancing at Vivienne's wake. The movie seemed to portray their disapproval, whereas - knowing these types of communities - I believe the townsfolk would be far more understanding of Linda's "differences." That aside, I would still highly recommend this movie. It features some of the best acting you'll find anywhere. 7/10

...thanks to a fine script by newcomer Angela Pell and adept direction from Brit Marc "I'm not a household name" Evans that delineates the personal healing of a wounded soul (superbly played by Alan "Die Hard" Rickman) when he meets the autistic mother (Sigourney "you ought to know by now" Weaver) of a young woman who has died in his company (the very winning Emily "Ruby Gloom" Hampshire), as well as a concerned neighbor (Carrie-Anne "Fido" Moss) who proves more nurturing than one might otherwise expect. Shot in Canada and pretty much released direct-to-video, "Snow Cake" is one of those odd character-driven films like "Transamerica" and "Broken Flowers" that entrusts a decidedly non-mainstream screenplay to an off-the-radar director and a coterie of accomplished actors with remarkably satisfying results.I love discovering films like "Snow Cake," and am thankful that talents like Weaver, Rickman, and Moss are willing to tackle them. I love enjoying the work of journeymen like cinematographer Steve "Durham County" Cosens who fruitfully labor outside the limelight of celebrity and deliver results that match or exceed those of their more famous counterparts. Most of all, I enjoy experiencing the fruition of efforts by talented unknowns like Ms. Pell.This is not to say that "Snow Cake" has no faults, script- or otherwise. At times the fades/edits clearly indicate a narrative structure adaptable to commercial television presentation. The score by Broken Social Scene is often overtly manipulative, if not downright cloying. Some of the premises of the film seem a bit forced (cf. the Rickman/Moss romance). Nonetheless, "Snow Cake" has far more to recommend it than not. The three leads are at the top of their game (disregard any comments you see that claim Ms. Weaver is "acting" rather than "being"), the storyline is engagingly peppered with quality dialog that actually has something to say, and I'm hard pressed to recall a film in which the significance of the title is revealed so late in the plot and yet carries such resonance throughout.There's nothing here for action fans to see; move along, please. "Snow Cake" is a lovingly realized character piece, well-crafted despite whatever weaknesses it may have, and easily worth the several hours spent with it by open-minded viewers. The DVD features include deleted scenes (most for obvious reasons) and trailer. Recommended to all who enjoy life-affirming tales that refuse to condescend.