Snow Angels (2007)

Snow Angels is perhaps one of the most difficult films I have ever watched. This is almost a masterpiece that portrays realistic human emotions. Essentially this is a film that explores the ups and downs of human life and how people deal with them. This dialog-based film has some powerful but key moments that show the audience this. These scenes are genuinely emotional and may induce a tear or two. Difficult as it may be to watch, this film is a plus of cinema.David Gordon Green's film explores several characters and their relationships with each other. We see a shy high school kid, his old babysitter, and her estranged husband and how their lives interconnect with each other.The acting is nearly flawless. Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell deliver some of their finest and perhaps career-defining performances yet. Beckinsale proves that she does not have to be a vampire in the Underworld films to find out she can take these kind of dramatic roles just fine. She does have the emotional depth for these parts. We all know Sam Rockwell is a great actor and this is one of his craziest, but strongest roles.Overall, this is the small-budget masterpiece you'd come to expect. David Gordon Green has a way with giving his characters an emotional core. You come to sympathize for them no matter their flaws. This is just outstanding art that explores characterization to the deepest. With a strong script and engaging story, this is a film every film geek should watch. I rate this film 9/10.

For some, the best type of films are those that are character-based: there is no action sequences, no huge stunts or explosions. Rather, there is a story that unfolds and is filled with quiet moments as well as more rambunctious ones that never go over the top into farce. Here, writer/director David Gordon Green handles strong and intense material, yet creates a moving and unforgettable piece of film-making that I will not soon forget.In the same vein as American Beauty, Ordinary People and Little Children, this film explores the simple, everyday lives of people just trying to exist as best they can. People work at jobs they don't like, struggle to relate to their children, each other and themselves, and in this case deal with some unbelievable situations. In whatever case, Green keeps just the right amount of difference at the right time and then shoves it in our face exactly when we need it.To assist him is the cast, which is uniformly excellent in its performances. Kate Beckinsale needs to concentrate on serious films after this really sharp and heartbreaking role as Annie, a single woman struggling to cope with her daughter who she doesn't truly understand and her estranged husband who she regrets not being able to fix her relationship with. The husband, Glenn, is played by Sam Rockwell in I think the film's best performance. Glenn is a struggling alcoholic who also is devoutly religious and the way he attempts to correlate the two elements is both cringing and stunning. The most effective relationship in the film is that between two high school students played by Michael Anagarano and Olivia Thirlby. How sweet and wonderful it is to see two people that truly seem to love, or at least trust, each other in order to have support for their problems. Here, Green seems to be teaching by showing that even young people can and do understand the seriousness and complexity of real relationships.As I said before, this is a very sad film with most of the sadness directed at Annie and Glenn. What is even more sad is that they try to overcome their shortcomings by digging deeper holes. This is a film that evokes great empathy and you want to reach out to these people, knowing they are going to do something regrettable. One thing not regrettable is watching this film, which is simply-told, very powerful and forever unforgettable.

Do not watch this movie with high expectation, nor do you mislead by the genre of this movie. I can never say that this movie is not good; likewise, I can never say that I am fully satisfied after watching. The genre tells that it is drama, romantic. Actually, it is drama, mystery, romantic; but the romance is not ordinary that one expects.My advice is to watch this without expectation of a great romance. If you watch this movie for the feeling of romance, then you might be in the wrong track. But, if you wanna be emotional, this movie will meet up your demand.The other thing, if you are a fan of lovely Kate Beckinsale, then watch it for her only- you will surely not be let down.

I refrain from rating this one as I have a lot of mixed feelings about this film. Granted it is a very deep and sensitive foray into the trappings of human emotion and relationships, but I can't reconcile why anyone would even attempt a movie like this, especially in this day and age. Although all the technical elements remain in tact, from the impeccable direction, to the heart-rending acting performances, the depth of emotion this film challenges you achieve seems a bit parochial to me, given that all we are shown is the dark side of each situation. Isn't there enough discord we must deal with in our day-to-day lives, than having to feel our emotions tumble blindly into an abyss of despair, then having to muster up the strength to climb back up and out, just to resume our lives as usual? I can't find any redeeming qualities to this film, yet I did watch it from beginning to end. It has all the qualities of a well-made film which draws you in, but once you're in you find yourself just wanting to get out but you can't, because you have to see how it all plays out after all. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there isn't any 'entertainment value' to this film, it's almost like some extended version of a story you'd expect to find in the news today, instead of on the big screen. Hollywood, maybe it's time to get back to the basics?