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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: 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

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for First Snow

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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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

The film has some of the bleak inevitability of Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, but without the compelling characters and oddball twists.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
04/26/07
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brings little new to the genre apart from another outstanding performance by Pearce.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
04/26/07
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

First Snow echoes Pearce's signature film Memento just closely enough to suffer by comparison.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
04/05/07
Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin
AV Club

Through it all, Pearce reminds us how good he can be in these obsessive parts.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/07/07
Boston Globe
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

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

Give this new Guy Pearce mind-bender a warm reception.

Full Review Source: Buzzine Magazine | comment Comment
03/13/07
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Buzzine Magazine

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

A smart, tense modern film noir.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
06/30/07
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune

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.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
04/02/07
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Cinematical

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

Standard issue drama that trashes all attempts at credibility.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
03/23/07
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

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.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
04/18/07
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

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.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
04/12/07
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Guy Pearce continues his quirky, risk-taking ways with another very strong performance here.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
04/09/07
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper

As Jimmy, Guy Pearce turns in his most striking work since Memento.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/09/07
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
eFilmCritic.com

It's a film of great promise, but loses dramatic circulation the longer it spends time chasing its own tail.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/12/07
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
eFilmCritic.com

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.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Spectrum | comment Comment
04/23/07
Vince Koehler
Vince Koehler
Entertainment Spectrum

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.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
03/28/07
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
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