First Snow (2006)

Too much of everything

People are voting emotionally.

hyped garbage

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

The facts are perfectly applicable to real life. And there is a really serious content in its plot.Sometimes it happens in our daily lives, or when we have to take a decision, life shows us some clues that we can follow: fortuitous event, strange coincidences...But often we are not sufficiently aware of these signals, or we just don't believe in it. Later on, we realize that this could have helped us or offer us something new to our lives. And then...our problems keeps unresolved.Cliff Martinez soundtrack is amazing, as well as the filmmaking.8/10

A traveling flooring-salesman, Jimmy Starks, which rather would sell nostalgia in a Wurlitzer jukebox, is stranded in a godforsaken place in this film by director Mark Fergus. First time director fop this writer. Well, when he waits for his car do be fixed, he goes to a fortune teller, just to kill time. The fortune teller gets a shock when he discovers something in his future. Starks wants to know more, but is forced to leave. Soon he understands the fortune teller wasn't a con man. A trip to the doctor tells that his hart has a problem.That's the start of this interesting film, which right off starts to creep under your skin. But the film doesn't all the way hold up the great tension and excitement is promises at the beginning. Fine acting by Guy Pearce (playing Starks), J.K. Simmons (the fortune teller), Piper Persbo (Deirdre) and William Fichtner (Ed Jacomoi) helps bringing this forward. A great cast, well directed. Pearce once again plays a fine role, and here maybe one of his best ever.The title is not telling very much in beforehand, except that it puts the film into a genre of these cold, bleak mysteries. But it has some significance, of course. The film has certain similarities with "The machinist" which has a similar ways of paranoia, and it also has a tad of a Hitchcocky feel. The bleak colors are also a similarity here, as is the the great acting.The film is slow and poetic, which the late autumn and early winter adds to, but the film still holds both some lingering excitement and the fear of the unexpected around next corner. Though at the same take the film makes you think of this an everyday story. As such a quality film, and still holding in to a deeper meaning for those who inhale it. For others it will be too slow, artful and even boring. A good film, though it didn't really touch into my heart, like I though from the opening.

"First Snow" has an intriguing beginning. A traveling salesman has his fortune told by an old man, who's predictions turn out to be amazingly correct. From this point on the movie plays out like a bloated "Twilight Zone" episode. I mean nothing but car trips, phone calls and paranoia. William Fichtner gives his usual interesting performance, but Guy Pierce is anything but a sympathetic character, disregarding other people's well being for the sake of his own paranoia. The ending is especially weak, with absolutely no payoff for the long suffering audience. Do yourself a big favor and avoid this one. Not recommended. - MERK

What can I say...not much to this one at all. Pretty dull and uninteresting.The actors performances are just OK. The only one that shines in any way is Simmons, but he only has, maybe 3 scenes. I understand that by keeping his screen time to a minimum he retains the mysterious psychic aura he has, but I can't help but feel his talent was wasted. No one else rose above mediocre.The story itself seems like it may be intriguing at the beginning, but then just doesn't go anywhere. There wasn't a single scene in the movie that impressed me or made me feel like I had just seen something special. The cinematography was fairly bland...I mean desert in a washed out sort of sepia...not very inspiring.The story of his childhood pal back outta prison seemed only partially thought out and didn't really add anything to the story, other than making an average 'Twilight Zone' script into a full length feature.Drab.