First Snow Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
What if someone looked into your future and didn't see tomorrow?
Wound tight and cocky, Jimmy Starks (Pearce) is a smooth-talking salesman certain he's on the verge of a big break. Even when his car stalls in the middle of nowhere, a roadside soothsayer (Simmons) assures him a windfall is on its way. But although Jimmy should be happy when his boss suddenly agrees to financially back his business venture, he starts to become paranoid instead. As his girlfriend Deirdre (Perabo) and his best friend/ business partner Ed (Fichtner) watch him slowly come unwound, Jimmy wonders if a past betrayal of his friend, newly paroled Vince (Whigham), could be catching up to him. And, as the weather turns cold, Jimmy can't help but fear the mysterious seer's other prediction... that they'll be no tomorrow after the first snow.
| Guy Pearce | Jimmy |
| Piper Perabo | Deirdre |
| William Fichtner | Ed |
| J.K. Simmons | Vacaro |
| Shea Whigham | Vincent |
| Rick Gonzalez | Andy Lopez |
| Jackie Burroughs | Maggie |
| Adam Scott | Tom Moreland |
| Portia Dawson | Waitress |
| Cherilyn Hayres | Market Clerk |
| Luce Rains | Roy Harrison |
| Brian Gamble | Bank Manager |
| David House | Sammy the Bartender |
| Jose J. Marquez | The Jacklope Vender |
| John Burton Jr. | Radio Announcer |
| Mark Fergus |
7.10 out of 10 (560 votes)
Visitor Reviews
artful, thoughtful thriller
posted on 23 Jun 2009Does such a thing as Fate truly determine the course of our lives - or are human beings just naturally prone to look for patterns where none may actually exist? That is the metaphysical question raised by "First Snow," an extraordinarily well-made and engrossing psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce as a cynical traveling salesman whose life is turned upside down when a roadside fortuneteller (J.K. Simmons) predicts he will die before the first snow falls. Yet Jimmy Starks soon learns that being the target of such a dire forecast may not be an entirely bad thing, for it can, if used properly, serve to build character, liberate the soul, help one find inner peace and self-acceptance, and, ironically, give one a brand new lease on life (however short that life may turn out to be).Adding to Jimmy's problems is the sudden return into his life of an ex-business partner whom Jimmy sold up the river a few years back. Jimmy is suddenly forced to live his life on a two-way track: running from perceived threats while, at the same time, learning to embrace his Sword of Damacles fate.In this beautifully paced and exquisitely shot film, director Mark Fergus makes the high desert setting an integral part of the movie's otherworldly mood and tone. Fergus' screenplay - co-written with Hawk Ostby - is shot through with a tremendous sense of foreboding and menace, while Cliff Martinez' haunting score greatly enhances that effect.Pearce is riveting as a man who finds himself simultaneously contending with the wildly disparate feelings of fear, desperation, resignation and hope. No one plays these kinds of brooding characters better than Pearce and he is clearly at the top of his game here. He gets fine support from the likes of Rick Gonzalez, William Fichtner and Piper Perabo as the people Jimmy makes amends to as he prepares himself for his preordained date with destiny.Unfortunately, as with most films of this type, the buildup is ultimately more satisfying than the follow-through. Yet, even though the ending is a trifle flatfooted compared to the rest of the story, the movie, as a whole, is so rich in atmosphere and performance that you'll be glad you took the journey.
Beautiful and slightly frightening.
posted on 02 May 2009From the moment I heard that Guy Pearce is in this movie, I knew I simply must see it. Every movie in which Guy Pearce is the lead turns out to be amazing and I think he is one of the main reasons for that. Pearce is a guy who gives a soul to every character he plays and this film is no exception. It is very pleasing to see him get more and more lead roles these days."First Snow" is basically intended as self realization film. But "First Snow" manages to stay out of the clichés of these kinds of films and brings in new themes. It is about someone who knows when he is going to die, but instead of using the good old "live every day like it's you're last" thing, "First Snow" shows the dark side of knowing you're fate. It sends the main character into a grim and frightening journey full of questions about the fragility of life. You'd probably think that this film would force it's thought on you, but instead it gives you a chilling example and leaves you wondering, and questioning themes such as fate, the future and life.To generate the feel of the main thought, "First Snow" creates a frightening and somewhat cold atmosphere using the surroundings and the music. The cinematography and editing are also amazing, creating an amazing visual sense of the movie. This is easily going to be on my list of 2007's best movies.
Paranoia and phone calls .........
posted on 30 Apr 2009"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
A Wild Ride - Tour de Force - Guy Pearse
posted on 23 Feb 2009A Tour de Force for Guy Pearse and its premier at the Tribeca Film Festival. A stylistic, crisp drama filmed perfectly in the wide-open and dreamy landscapes of New Mexico. First time director Mark Fergus takes us on a wild ride with a first-rate supporting cast of William Fichtner, Shea Whigam, J.K. Simmons, and Ricky Gonzalez. Bravo to the performance of Guy Pearse who keeps us in suspense as Jimmy throughout as we try to get inside his head. Piper Perabo (Deidre) lights up the screen giving us reason to hope. Warm friendships, betrayals, and dealing with your past demons are all part of the mix with high energy and superb casting.
I saw... no more roads. No more tomorrows.
posted on 05 Feb 2009I really enjoyed 'First Snow', it's not totally unlike No Country For Old Men, has a little bit of a Stephen King like feel to the story ( a little pulpy, simple but powerful and entertaining). Also, it can be described as noir-ish (which usually helps a thriller greatly if done right), and the always cool Aussie Guy Pearce plays the lead, he's as close to a quality guarantee as is possible in cinema today, in that sense he resembles Edward Norton and Christian Bale.The existential theme goes only skin deep (the film biggest problem) and it can be called simplistic but all that doesn't make it any less effective, I felt the confinement the lead was going through, a dark sinister atmospheric cloud slowly formed throughout the film as the impending inevitable fate crawled closer by, Pearce's naturally emaciated look aided the believability of the character.A satisfying little film, a psychological thriller that's not the classic it could've been, but still a can't miss near-classic. 7.4/10
The road least traveled
posted on 18 Jan 2009***SPOILERS*** Strange and haunting psychological drama involving traveling salesman Jimmy Starks, Guy Pearce, who comes apart after, what at first seemed like, a harmless reading from a roadside fortuneteller.On his way home Jimmy stops off at this rest stop on the highway when his car suddenly conks out. Waiting for his car to be fixed and after a stake & eggs dinner Jimmy spots this trailer that advertises telling one's future. Seeing the proprietor Vacaro, J.K Simmions, Jimmy gets a life reading from him that will soon change not only his fortunes, that were at the time at rock bottom, but his life as well! As it later turns out most of what Vacaro told Jimmy amazingly came to pass but the biggest mystery in his forecast didn't. Jimmy was told that the road he's traveling on will come to an abrupt end the moment the first snows fall! Not being able to make heads or tails of Vacaro's strange prediction Jimmy assumes that he'll die, or be killed, by the time winter comes!Becoming super paranoid Jimmy starts to suspect everyone he, as a smart a** wise guy, screwed all his life. At first Jimmy suspects his fellow salesman whom he took under his wing, and later screwed out of his job, Andy Lopez played by Nick Gonzalez. Andy in fact did, by admitting, send Jimmy a threatening letter with no return address of course which had Jimmy not only slug him but also threatened to have him arrested! It was later after Andy apologized Jimmy got the news that his former best friend Vincent McClore, Shea Whigham, had just been released, after serving six years,from prison. It was Vincent whom Jimmy screwed, like almost everyone else in the movie, years ago in a drug money laundering scheme that he ended up taking the rap for! Being of unsound mind with a violent temper to boot it became evident to Jimmy that Vincent was the person who'd fulfill Vacaro's prediction of his own demise!Like in the practice Voodoo it was up to Jimmy, in believing it, to make Vacaro's prediction of his strange road to nowhere to come true. Instead of forgetting about it Jimmy went out of his way to see to it that his, in Jimmy's mind, soon to be death will inevitably happen. The fact that Vacaro was very unambiguous in what was going to happen to Jimmy-he'll run out of highway at the first snow-but Jimmy seemed to take it all the wrong, and worst, way!***SPOILER ALERT*** As it turned out Jimmy's past, as a stool pigeon and rat-fink, did catch up with him in what he did to his then best friend and partner in crime Vincent McClore. All this, together with Vacaro's mystifying prediction, put everything into motion for the films totally unsuspected and nail-biting climax!
Extraordinarily average.
posted on 04 Jan 2009What 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.
Sunlight, shadow, and sleaze
posted on 07 Dec 2008First Snow is the directorial debut of Mark Fergus, who co-wrote it with his writing partner of twelve years, Hawk Ostby (they met at Boston Univeristy, and were first inspired by Neil LaBute's 'In the Company of Men'); they also wrote 'Children of Men' (for which they got an Oscar nomination) and Jon Favreau's Marvel comic book adaptation, 'Iron Man', coming out next year, with Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jeff Bridges; and an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'John Carter of Mars', a Paramount project. 'First Snow' got a shot in the arm when producer Bob Yari came on board. But you don't know who Fergus is and you sort of want it that way with a movie like this. You wander into it recognizing only the raw bony face of Guy Pearce. Pearce, as Jimmy, comes on dressed in cheap suits driving a sleazy car as a salesman in New Mexico with a pretty young girlfriend, Dierdre (Piper Perabo), and there's another salesman, Ed (William Fichtner) who's his friend. The plot has ramifications the sketchy dialog gives hints of. Jimmy wants to sell classic Wurlitzer jukeboxes equipped with their original 45's but his card shows he still sells flooring. This movie is like a cheap salesman itself and that's its charm. It's professional but not slick, raw like Pearce's skinny face. Its contents are the stuff of B-movies -- grudges, double-crosses, threatening phone calls and, the centerpiece, a grizzled trailer park fortune teller (the excellent J.K. Simmons) who sees something unexpected in Jimmy's future too terrible to relate. A gritty past comes back to haunt him as he drives around on the highway fleeing winter. "You're safe until the first snow," the seer mumbles, before he gives Jimmy his money back and clams up. "But whatever road you take, the same fate follows you." Ouch. There was a scam in Mexico, something about money laundering and a partner named Vince (Shea Wigham) who did time and now is out and mad. 'First Snow' is largely made of close-ups, harsh bright desert light and heavy shadow. It's a nice grungy riff on noir photography with hand-held camera and seedy locations instead of studio shots and fancy lighting. And instead of intrusive Angelo Badalamenti or Bernard Hermann-style background sounds it's nicely highlighted by Cliff Martinez, who did the underscored music for 'Traffic' and 'Narc'. Albuquerque, NM is the setting. Fergus was living there and the snow there had dazzled him. He must have also felt the nexus of urban poor and desert as ideal for a story about a two-bit shyster running from a terrible fate. Guy Pearce has long lanky hair as he did in John Hilcoat's 'The Proposition', and it makes him look sleazy even as his fine cheekbones and chiseled torso make him sexy. He grins a lot, till he starts sweating, and looking desperate, and hiding in motel rooms from a nemesis he seems to have imagined. A coworker he fired named Andy (Rick Gonzalez) scares him. He's on the run after he visits Vince's grizzled, dying mother (Jackie Burroughs) and thinks Vince is crazy and tailing him. When he's holed up in a dark motel room things get pretty tense. Then at some point Jimmy washes up and shaves and stops running; some of the tension disperses and this is where writing and editing fail to come together. Jimmy goes out in the snow. It was just superstition. Wasn't it? He relaxes and smiles again and goes home. He tells Ed over their usual drink that he's in the center of the tornado where it's calm, but the energy goes out of the picture for a while, till Jimmy, with questionable motivation after being on the run, goes to meet Vince (who's left him a zillion phone messages: the movie is plagued by cell phones and land lines). And the tension, anyway, is back. First snow has a double ending whose second half almost seems a quick afterthought and the whole story falls apart like a house of cards. What was it all about, anyway? Why, it was about the light and the shadows and the romance and sleaze and scariness of cheap suits and cheap cars and the threadbare plots of little movies like this that can still take you off somewhere and keep you watching and hanging on every word in spite of yourself.
What would you do if you knew your days were counted?
posted on 25 Nov 2008I was truly captivated by this movie right from the start. The mood, the depth and the acting suck you in and keep you interested in basically every scene. It is easy to understand the state of mind which the main character is in, and as his state of mind changes, so does yours. That's how a credible message movie should feel, like an almost physical journey, and not like some pompous, cheap "this is how you should live" kind of thing that keeps you inspired for 90 minutes just to completely disappear from your memory the same evening. This is a movie about a human being that becomes a victim of fate, and all his security is replaced by fear and anxiety, because he is convinced that his days are counted. A fortune teller, whom he initially distrusts and sees as nothing but a cunning businessman, tells him that he will only live until the first snow. For a number of reasons, he realizes that the fortune teller is not your average conman, and he begins to question his life, and his future. Does he even have one?I don't want to spoil your experience by telling you more, because you really owe it to yourself to watch this great peace of deeply human art and have a very unique experience. One which will not only fill your time with excitement and suspense, but also tickle your mind and possible even touch your soul. I have to disagree with the genre category this movie is in. This is definitely a psychological thriller and no drama. It is also one of the best psychological thrillers I have seen in my entire life, in the same category as The Machinist, and other masterpieces. Watch this, and enjoy. No one who wants more in life than watching walking clichés shoot at each other for two hours will give this movie less than 8 stars. The script is first class, the actors are incredible, the vibes, the timing, the color, the settings, it's all perfect!I thank the makers of this movie and the superb actors for a great experience. You should truly be proud.
Extraordianary performances and tension
posted on 05 Nov 2008The entire movie feels like the Third Act of a Sergio Leone western: tension building and Morricone-like score and visual poetry. Thematically, a brilliant examination of anxiety and its role in self-fulfilling prophecy. Dialogue is taut and dead on. All the actors shine. The director didn't allow a single false note to reach the screen. Pearce and Simmons are incredible, as are the score and cinematography. Sometimes, studios are reluctant to push a film this uncompromising in presenting so grim and poignant a vision, but any attempt to soften this or edit it for the taste of hyperactive teenage boys would have killed a perfect mood. This is really one of the best, most chilling, emotional movies I've seen in years. If you like Coen Brothers, definitely check this out.
A Wonderful Movie
posted on 22 Oct 2008In this neo-Hitchcockian thriller, Guy Pearce plays a cocky salesman named Jimmy Starks who is used to being in control of his life. He has a good job, a loving girlfriend and the ability to lie his way to success. When his car breaks down, he passes the time whilst it's being repaired by visiting a roadside fortune teller who gives him details about several future events - the most startling of which is that Jimmy will die following the first snowfall. At first Jimmy laughs about these predictions, but as several of them come true, he realises that he actually may not have long to live.Much like the movie "Premonition" which came out around the same time, "First Snow" asks whether somebody can change their own fate if they are aware of it. However, unlike the former movie, there is a level of intelligence at work in this particular script. The ultimate fate of Jimmy Starks is not the sole focus of the movie. Instead, it is also an exploration of whether - given the warning of when we'll leave this life - most of us would use that opportunity to make amends for the mistakes we've made. As the fortune teller explains to Jimmy: "Think of those who never had a chance to put things in order...to say goodbye."First time director Mark Fergus has crafted a touching and ultimately thought-provoking tale which uses a sparse soundtrack and beautiful cinematography to great effect. Guy Pearce once again gives an extraordinary performance to hold our attention throughout. Part of the movie's entertainment comes from watching this character evolve from fake smiles and projected confidence, into a sweating, desperate man forced to confront the skeletons hidden in his closet. In the hands of another actor, Jimmy could have come across simply as an uninteresting jerk but Pearce manages to make the audience begin to care for the character and his plight. As the weather begins to grow colder, you genuinely question how Jimmy will escape his demise... if such a thing is even possible. "First Snow" is a small movie but it is also a powerful one. It draws this power from quiet moments; scenes spent with Jimmy alone with only his fears and the ghosts which haunt him for company. For those who enjoyed such character-driven movies as "Momento" and "The Machinist", "First Snow" comes strongly recommended.
Amazing--and Guy Pearce has made another perfect film
posted on 30 Sep 2008This is an amazing movie. Like Guy Pearce's incredible earlier film, Memento, this films addresses the elusive issue of destiny. The word karma is mostly misunderstood. It doesn't just mean that we must suffer for our sins in our lives, but that we must tame our minds to meet whatever comes with equanimity and compassion. The hero of First Snow is challenged to look at his life and the way he treats those around him. The response that the director/writer Fergus proposes is exactly what we all have to conclude: our own motivation, kindness, compassion is the only thing that we can control in our lives, and it is exactly what we must do. The rest that we face is as baffling as the scenario Guy Pearce's character in Memento faces, or the road his character travels in First Snow. If the lesson is that we must literally get our house in order before we die, there can be no higher teaching. What is also amazing is that Guy Pearce has starred in both of these perfect films. Perhaps there are other links I don't know about, but if the common thread is this actor's choice of films, I would really like to take a second look at any other films he has made.
Taut noir thriller
posted on 13 Aug 2008This taut little thriller, directed by first-timer Mark Fergus, is a real gripper with intelligence to spare and some seriously powerful stuff. The protagonist/anti-hero, Jimmy Starks (Guy Pearce in a role that hauntingly echoes his work in "Memento"), is a salesman/con man who easily slides in and out of legit selling and shady conning. Pearce carries this off beautifully, and is ably abetted in his downward spiraling tale by J.K. Simmons as Vaccaro, the strangely prescient soothsayer, William Fichtner as Jimmy's friend Ed, and some really great unknown actors in other supporting roles, principally the actor playing Jimmy's boss, who will hopefully go on to do more work on film (he's terrific).Jimmy accidentally meets up with fortune teller Vaccaro who accurately predicts a win by a local college basketball team that Jimmy's bet on, as well as a windfall from an on-the-level business deal that Jimmy's involved in. What Vaccaro does not predict is the riveting, ever-darker series of events that ensue when Jimmy finds out that a former partner of his in a crooked scam, Vince, is now out on parole from a stretch in the slammer.For my money, this is the best American noir thriller of the year so far, and would make a great addition, once it's out on DVD, to anyone's library of neo-noirs. The ending in particular is really strong--always the mark of a well-made film.Try not to miss this. It's great.
This road you're on... you put yourself on this road... on this exact night. Who chose this? A man makes his destiny, right?
posted on 28 Jul 2008Is it destiny or did you make it happen? Are you going to die regardless of what you do to avoid it, or do you make decisions that result in your death? This neo noir with Guy Pearce (Momento, The Proposition, L.A. Confidential) was well written and exciting from start to finish.Pearce made a perfect sleazy salesman and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) has shown she can do a good dramatic role. I thought she was really good.The story keeps you guessing until the very end. Did things happen because they were destined to happen, or did he choose to be in that place in that time.
The Hand Of Fate
posted on 18 Jun 2008FIRST SNOW involves a trade off. The action is slow, but there is a fairly compelling narrative. The story involves a brash young salesman who engages the services of a truck stop fortune teller, and finds that his life is nearly over. He's safe only until the first snow. Jimmy, played by Guy Pearce, must plan a course of action to determine the veracity of the prediction, and then act on his finding. FIRST SNOW creates a visual mood, and takes its' own sweet time to unfold. The film is a psychological thriller with the feel of a noirish foreign film. The two writers on this project collaborated on the far superior film, CHILDREN OF MEN, but FIRST SNOW makes a clever attempt to resolve the following conundrum. Our fate lies on whatever road we decide to take, yet nothing makes the gods laugh harder than when Man attempts to control his destiny. Guy Pearce's MEMENTO is a much better examination of the effect of predetermined events, but FIRST SNOW is certainly worth a look.
Modern Hitchcock
posted on 18 Mar 2008Excellent film all around - the suspense is real. The characters are brought to live vividly and it's truly a pleasure to watch and see what happens. Guy Pearce brings the "live by the seat of your pants" character to life. It leads you through a journey and you're not quite sure where you're going. The photography is remarkable and it brings that part of the country to live. It deals with many theme and brings them all together in the end. The score helps to bring it all together and is hauntingly beautiful. The film is easy to relate to and gets to thinking about fate, destiny, control, and the power of fortune tellers.
Sporadically interesting
posted on 16 Jan 2008"Fate rules the affairs of mankind with no recognizable order." SenecaGuy Pearce confirmed his cult status with his tortured Leonard of Memento. Writing notes to himself because of his serious short term memory loss, he pursues a putative killer of his wife. Now in First Snow Pearce as Jimmy Starks pursues another threat, his imminent death disclosed by a fortune teller. The theme of fate versus determinism-- Can anyone alter his destiny?-- is provocatively introduced but only partially developed beyond plot demands for someone avoiding death.The expectations for a thematically heavy duty, time challenged thriller like Christopher Nolan's Memento are not always in Mike Fergus's First Snow, a semi-entertaining thriller slow in many parts and hardly challenging other than seeing Pearce put his indie-strange stamp on a mediocre knockoff of his most famous role. Here he displays his usual taut physical and mental persona but without any puzzling character depths other than selling old Wurlitzer juke boxes and flooring while touting shoulder-length hair and attitude incommensurate with the nowhere character he inhabits.The New Mexico setting is just right for the new-age ambiance of the occult and existentialism. This region has had its cult status confirmed with the many UFO sightings and the starkly haunting work of Georgia O'Keefe. Chris Martinez's minimalist score punctuates the spare emotional landscape.Jimmy's palm reader, Vacaro (a wonderfully weary J.K. Simmons), says, "I saw no more roads, no more tomorrows. But you're safe until the first snow." The script doesn't allow Jimmy to go too far beyond disbelief at this prophecy into whether or not one can be happy knowing the future. Try he will to alter that future but without intellectual resolution for the audience.More promising is the redemption motif in which he must face a recently- released-from-prison former business partner, who went up the river because of Jimmy's testimony and who may now wish to exact his due. How Jimmy faces this prophetic return is not well enough dissected, but it remains an energetic coda to an otherwise sporadically interesting study of personal responsibility and fate.
Wonderfully done
posted on 23 Dec 2007I just saw this film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival, and I must admit, it is a head trip. It really gets you thinking about your choices, and it really is a self epiphany type of movie.Guy Pearce does a great job as Jimmy, and it was nice actually having him in the audience.Mark Fergus did a great job in writing the script in not making the movie so fast paced, but rather a slow brisk walk until it hits you in the end. Not only that, but he gets his point across through the camera as well by focusing on his theme of solitude.Overall, loved it.
Nifty bit of noir is quite good...
posted on 27 Nov 2007...though much like "Red Road," it's not so much a thriller as it is a psychodrama, another confirmation that DVD packaging is inherently deceptive. Regardless, this sophomore effort from scripter Hawk Ostby and director/scripter Mark Fergus, the team that went on to bring us "Children of Men" and "Iron Man" (who'da thunk?), is a remarkable bit of entertainment. With excellent work from Guy "Ravenous" Pearce as a grungy salesman at whom the fickle finger of Fate has abruptly pointed, and a fine ensemble cast of support, particularly J.K. "Spider-Man" Simmons as the pointing finger, "First Snow" sports value that far exceeds its no-doubt limited budget. Fine, evocative cinematography by Eric Alan "My Own Private Idaho" Edwards, complemented by Cliff "Solaris" Martinez' moody score and fine costuming, set and production design, not to mention careful editing by Jay "The Pledge" Cassidy, all go a long way toward establishing the noir-ish tone and direction of the film. Some may not be happy with (or just confused by) the somewhat ambiguous ending, but in toto "First Snow" clicks on all counts. Recommended, especially to fans of Pearce, who by and large has an excellent knack for picking quality films to do.
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First Snow interesting, but somewhat disappointing
posted on 27 Jun 2009I found First Snow to be a disappointing film. I saw a few trailers for the movie and perhaps I was anticipating something far greater than the end result. I'm not saying the movies plot wasn't interesting. It did holdmy attention; It had great scenes and the whole concept of a person knowing he was going to die at a certain time is a suspenseful way to deliver a story. I think maybe it could have been told differently. It started off with a guy (a real hustler) stranded in a New Mexico service station waiting for his car to be fixed. He accidentally (or was it fate) stumbled upon a fortune teller who told him bad things were going to happen to him. The main character (Guy Pearce) laughed it off, but then a few of his other predictions that seemed way out there came true. This caused a lot of upset and for the next few weeks of the story, Guy Pearce slowly unraveled. It finally came to light (after another visit to the fortune teller) that he would meet his tragic end upon the "First Snow". Hence, the name. The remainder of the movie became a pathetic attempt for him to find out why he was going to die, including becoming suspicious of a life long friend that he betrayed, who had just recently gotten out of prison.