A snow angel is the weighted indentation of false hope and beauty. A heavenly form pressed into a tranquil landscape. Its childhood escapism at its simplest, an activity in useless vandalism that disappears almost as effortlessly as it came. The same could be said of David Gordon Green's new heart shattering drama "Snow Angels". Its main focus is on a man that is looking toward impromptu sources of happiness. A broken soul that finds false hope in a beer can and the born again faith. It is a harrowing journey through small town America where killing one's spouse is considered an act of common human behavior.
The film is based on a novel by Steward O'Nan. It's narrative strings consist of this seemingly parallel universe where one loving relationship is coming to a doomed and oppressed end just as another is blossoming for the first time. Full of extraordinary performances from an earnest cast, this is the sort of pulp that floats to the top of the juice squeezed out around Oscar time. Its early inception into the American Cinematheque doesn't reflect a wounded "no go" drama as much as it does an over crowded market place. Where work of this nature might have once been tossed out in a quick manner and left in the cold like last year's dramas The Jane Austen Book Club and Feast of Love, "Snow Angels" has been given the time to find an audience and nestle itself into the minds of both the American critics and the Hollywood Foreign press.
Sam Rockwell gives an amazing performance here. Possibly one of the best of his career. He stars as Glenn, a loving father that's gone a little off his rocker. He is separated from his wife and daughter, and because of that, he leans a little to closely into the fires of the Born Again faith. Gleaning a bit of "Frailty's vibe, Glenn finds God at the bottle of an empty beer bottle. He takes it upon himself to reunite with his estranged family, only his wife doesn't take to kindly to this wanton gesture. Kate Beckinsale plays Annie, Glenn's significant other. While Glenn has been living with his folks down the road, she has taken to sleeping with her best friend's husband. Maybe a little too beautiful to be caught up in this mess, Beckinsale weights the film with a naturalistic offensive that crimps and curves the drama into an arc of unforgiving astuteness. The acting work here is remarkable for its fleeting gray entrapment and exposure of the fragile human spirit.
Both Glenn and Annie are too preoccupied with their own feelings of worthlessness to give proper care to their eight-year-old daughter. Sam Rockwell's eyes are always edging toward the sidewalks of crazy town, and when he takes this little girl out for a day of fun and family photos, you feel as though Glenn could snap at any moment. Though he doesn't, this free-day activity turns into the center of this film's universe. It is a portrait of a life lost, as the cute toddler is neglected and eventually goes missing. The outcome of her disappearance sees Glenn taking Annie into the woods for a spiritual cleansing. It's a climax that brings a whipping tension as it is wrapped in our own pale reality. It's hard to watch, especially if you are familiar with small town politics. Read any rural newspaper and you will see that this sort of brutal cliché happens at least on a quarterly basis.
Running parallel with Glenn and Annie's story is a blossoming relationship between high schoolers Arthur and Lily, played by Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby. As they discover each other amidst the feeling of untouched skin, we see Glenn and Annie sinking further into their own depths of darkness. This comes on as a precursor to what the older couple used to have. And after everything is said and done, Arthur looks at their fate as a cautionary tale. Will he and Lily get married right out of school? Will they have a daughter? Will they befall the same fate? It is an interesting juxtaposition that cradles the main narrative and scope of the film. Green has, indeed, created a small creaking masterpiece that will surely be studied for years to come.
While this is a feel bad emotional rollercoaster, director David Gordon Green is no stranger to comedy. The man has a weird sense of humor, and will become known for his directing skills on this summer's "Pineapple Express". Here, while the stakes are stilted and "Snow Angels" is a definite downer, he managed to throw in a couple of well-earned laughs that creep out of the cracks of despair. He stages a very funny high school marching band rendition of Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer, and he gives Freddy Krueger (of all people) a prominent cameo appearance. Heady stuff for this type of mid-life crisis.
"Snow Angels" is a great little film, and director David Gordon Green is definitely someone to keep your eyes on.
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