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Movies / On DVD / First Snow
First Snow

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First Snow (2007)

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Reviews Counted:71

Fresh:41

Rotten:30

Average Rating:5.9/10

Consensus: In First Snow, an interesting premise gives way to a slow and tedious noir that adds little to the genre.

Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Jimmy (Guy Pearce) is a smooth-talking salesman who finds himself making a detour after his car breaks down on a desert highway. To pass the time, he pays a visit to a local palm reader, Vacaro... Jimmy (Guy Pearce) is a smooth-talking salesman who finds himself making a detour after his car breaks down on a desert highway. To pass the time, he pays a visit to a local palm reader, Vacaro (J.K. Simmons). Vacaro makes a few positive predictions for him, but then appears deeply disturbed by a vision. Jimmy demands to know what he saw, but Vacaro refuses to tell him, and won't even accept payment for the reading. A few days later, Jimmy becomes uneasy when various predictions begin to come true. He returns to Vacaro and begs to know what is in store for him. Vacaro admits that, yes, Jimmy's days are numbered, and he is to meet his fate--whatever it may be-- upon the first snowfall. The news causes Jimmy to descend into paranoia and fear, and he begins to behave irrationally--endangering both his job and his relationship with his girlfriend (Piper Perabo).What tragedy is about to befall him? Should he worry about his heart murmur? The threats from a disgruntled ex-employee? Or his ex-best friend, a convicted felon, who has recently come back to town? He turns his life inside out, racing to alter his destiny before the first snow. Guy Pearce gives his usual electric performance, perfectly capturing Jimmy's slick egotism, and later, his wild-eyed fear. His puzzle-like quest for the truth combined with the film's noir-style is at times reminiscent of MEMENTO, though the pace is a bit slower, and the plot a bit clunkier. But the film does still manage to pose some intriguing questions about the idea of fate, and the notion of each life being on a pre-destined path. Like MEMENTO, FIRST SNOW will leave viewers scratching their heads in wonder, if not feeling more than a little spooked. [More]

Starring: Guy Pearce, Piper Perabo, William Fichtner, J.K. Simmons

Starring: Guy Pearce, Piper Perabo, William Fichtner, J.K. Simmons, Shea Whigham, Rick Gonzalez, Jackie Burroughs, Adam Scott

Director: Mark Fergus, Bob Yari

Director: Mark Fergus
Screenwriter: Hawk Ostby, Mark Fergus
Director: Bob Yari
Producer: Sean Furst, Bryan Furst, Tom Lassally, Robyn Meisinger
Composer: Cliff Martinez
Studio: Yari Film Group

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Reviews for First Snow

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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First Snow is a very worthy first film, and one that lingers in the mind long after the final fade-out.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
03/28/07
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer

First Snow is solidly made -- which, for this sort of film, is nothing to sneeze at -- but it doesn't leave that strong an impression either. It's a decent freshman effort.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
03/22/07
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

Fate plays havoc with a salesman's existence in [this] bleak psychological thriller about life and death in the New Mexico desert.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
04/13/07
Betsy Bozdech
Betsy Bozdech
Hollywood.com

A haunting neo-noir about a man told by a palmist that his karma is about to run over his dogma.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
04/20/07
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

A thoughtful, but tense, meditation on whether the knowledge of your impending demise would be a curse or a gift.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
04/07/07
Chad Greene
Chad Greene
Boxoffice Magazine

Scene for scene, Guy Pearce's performance opens up the movie's mostly regular ruminations on fate and free will.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
04/06/07
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

It’s suspenseful and kind of scary.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
04/02/07
Don R. Lewis
Don R. Lewis
Film Threat

Playing a human being unraveling and forced to peel away cocky outer layers to face his real self, Guy Pearce delivers his strongest performance in this film.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/17/07
Donald J. Levit
Donald J. Levit
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

A fresh and surprisingly effective character-driven thriller featuring Guy Pearce in one of his strongest roles since Memento.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
03/23/07
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

Held aloft by great acting and pretty good writing by director Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
03/22/07
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

Takes a silly premise -- a fortune teller predicts imminent doom! -- and spins it into a thoughtful, intelligent story about fate vs. free will.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
04/12/07
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

A neo-noir picture that won't entirely satisfy, but offers enough incidental pleasures to make it a moderately enjoyable trip to the dark side.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
04/02/07
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

A psychological thriller with the message that knowing about your impending death has a way of focusing your life and making everything supercharged with meaning.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
03/23/07
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

This is first-rate work from a talented actor who is fated to become a star.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
04/12/07
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News

First Snow keeps audiences guessing - not necessarily about how the film will end but what path things will take to get there.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
04/06/07
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Speaks to metaphysical mysteries best left unsolved.

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
04/04/07
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

With its quiet, unassuming style and brooding intelligence, First Snow isn't the kind of movie that announces itself, but it's well worth seeking out, especially for moviegoers who complain that 'they' don't make movies for grown-ups anymore.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
03/23/07
Jim Hemphill
Jim Hemphill
Reel.com

I was beguiled by both the eerie moods and the striking compositions, which incorporate large stretches of empty space.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
11/27/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Offers the satisfaction of a compelling story well told.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
04/14/07
Kerry Lengel
Kerry Lengel
Arizona Republic

"First Snow" leaves you with faintly haunting thoughts, which is nice -- one's always thankful for that rare movie that leaves you with any thoughts at all.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
03/23/07
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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