Offers the satisfaction of a compelling story well told.
First Snow (2007)
Tomatometer
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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: Horror/Suspense
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
Reviews for First Snow
The film has some of the bleak inevitability of Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, but without the compelling characters and oddball twists.
Brings little new to the genre apart from another outstanding performance by Pearce.
First Snow echoes Pearce's signature film Memento just closely enough to suffer by comparison.
Through it all, Pearce reminds us how good he can be in these obsessive parts.
A thoughtful, but tense, meditation on whether the knowledge of your impending demise would be a curse or a gift.
I was beguiled by both the eerie moods and the striking compositions, which incorporate large stretches of empty space.
The burden of keeping this schematically plotted tale's pulse lively falls on Pearce, who instills Jimmy with a brand of cheery, motormouthed deceitfulness and egotism that even a mother would loathe.
A fresh and surprisingly effective character-driven thriller featuring Guy Pearce in one of his strongest roles since Memento.
The subdued ending might disappoint those hoping for a more lively denouement, but really, it seems just right for a tale as chilly as this one.
Co-screenwriter/director Mark Fergus isn't able to build any palpable tension. And the fact that we're not really rooting for his protagonist to survive works against the material.
Guy Pearce continues his quirky, risk-taking ways with another very strong performance here.
It's a film of great promise, but loses dramatic circulation the longer it spends time chasing its own tail.
First Snow is a sharp thriller with abstract pretentiousness. The writers were clever enough to approach a simple philosophical question in a devious and brusque way.
First Snow is essentially a short story with a metaphysical twist, but Pearce puts his fears more up front than any actor I can think of. He keeps you poked and prodded with anxiety.
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