User Reviews

...thanks to a fine script by newcomer Angela Pell and adept direction from Brit Marc "I'm not a household name" Evans that delineates the personal healing of a wounded soul (superbly played by Alan "Die Hard" Rickman) when he meets the autistic mother (Sigourney "you ought to know by now" Weaver) of a young woman who has died in his company (the very winning Emily "Ruby Gloom" Hampshire), as well as a concerned neighbor (Carrie-Anne "Fido" Moss) who proves more nurturing than one might otherwise expect. Shot in Canada and pretty much released direct-to-video, "Snow Cake" is one of those odd character-driven films like "Transamerica" and "Broken Flowers" that entrusts a decidedly non-mainstream screenplay to an off-the-radar director and a coterie of accomplished actors with remarkably satisfying results.

I love discovering films like "Snow Cake," and am thankful that talents like Weaver, Rickman, and Moss are willing to tackle them. I love enjoying the work of journeymen like cinematographer Steve "Durham County" Cosens who fruitfully labor outside the limelight of celebrity and deliver results that match or exceed those of their more famous counterparts. Most of all, I enjoy experiencing the fruition of efforts by talented unknowns like Ms. Pell.

This is not to say that "Snow Cake" has no faults, script- or otherwise. At times the fades/edits clearly indicate a narrative structure adaptable to commercial television presentation. The score by Broken Social Scene is often overtly manipulative, if not downright cloying. Some of the premises of the film seem a bit forced (cf. the Rickman/Moss romance). Nonetheless, "Snow Cake" has far more to recommend it than not. The three leads are at the top of their game (disregard any comments you see that claim Ms. Weaver is "acting" rather than "being"), the storyline is engagingly peppered with quality dialog that actually has something to say, and I'm hard pressed to recall a film in which the significance of the title is revealed so late in the plot and yet carries such resonance throughout.

There's nothing here for action fans to see; move along, please. "Snow Cake" is a lovingly realized character piece, well-crafted despite whatever weaknesses it may have, and easily worth the several hours spent with it by open-minded viewers. The DVD features include deleted scenes (most for obvious reasons) and trailer. Recommended to all who enjoy life-affirming tales that refuse to condescend.

I very rarely watch offbeat independent Films, due to the fact that so many seem to be overly worthy,PC & pretentious, 'Snow Cake' seemed to fit into all three categories - but decided I would watch purely on it starring Alan Rickman & Sigourney Weaver.....I'm very glad I did, it's a very well written & acted film, which seemed to have been criminally overlooked.

Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman) is a man recently released from Prison after killing a man, and finds himself sitting next to a pretty young girl Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire)at a truck stop Cafe, after much persuasion Vivienne manages to get Alex to give her a lift back home, Tragedy strikes en route as a lorry crashes into Alex's Car, Alex himself is luckily left without a scratch, Vivienne is sadly killed instantly. Alex feels immense guilt over the girl's death and goes to see her Mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) to offer his condolences, at his arrival he notices that Linda is Mentally handicapped and suffers from severe Autism, and she manages to get Alex to stay with her to sort out the girl's funeral & put out the bins as she 'dosen't do garbage'

This does sound very depressing, but It's actually funny & sad in equal measure, Weaver gives a career best performance as the Autistic Mother and is greatly believable, Rickman is very understated but also gives a wonderful performance as the driver who seeks some sort of redemption - despite the car accident not being his fault.

Co-starring Carrie-anne Moss (The Matrix) as Maggie, Linda's oversexed neighbour who Alex begins a sexual relationship & Directed by Welshman Marc Evans, who includes songs by Welsh bands in the picture - this is a truly wonderful film that's well worth watching and nowhere near as depressing or PC as it sounds

**** out of *****

"Snowcake" is a slightly offbeat movie in the same vein as "Sideways" and "Broken flower", offering a good mix of humour and poignancy as well as thoughtful insight into human nature. It leans towards being out of the ordinary but does not go overboard to be bizarre. It takes place in Wawa, Ontario, a small town (population of several thousand) that reflects the rugged beauty of "North of Superior" (see IMDb listing). Prominently featured in several scenes is the 28-foot tall sculpture Canada Goose that marks the entrance to the town. I have not been to Wawa, but had once come within a hundred miles, from the Sault St. Marie side.

One of the three main protagonists is an outsider, Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman), who picks up a hitchhiker, teenager Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire) on her way home to Wawa. Aspiring to be a writer, she approaches Alex with the belief that since he looks so lonely, he must have a good story of his life to tell. Tragically, Vivienne never gets home as their car gets into an accident which leaves Alex unscathed but kills her. The rest of the story happens in the ensuing week in Wawa, where Alex tries to help Vivienne's autistic mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) arrange the funeral. Through interaction with Linda and other inhabitants of this town, Alex finds absolution from a guilt that has been weighting heavily on him. The number one key character of "Snowcake", however, is unquestionably Linda.

Rather than getting into all the details that should be left for the viewers to enjoy, I would just mention some of the interesting aspects of this movie. The biggest challenge is to make Linda believable. An average moviegoer is not expected to have much experience with an autistic person. The closest impression one gets is probably the "Rain man" version. If Dustin Hoffman was good enough with his performance to win an Oscar, Weaver certainly is also, for "Snowcake". At her first appearance, at her doorstep answering Alex's knock, Linda does not appear to have been grieved, acknowledging almost in a matter-of-fact manner that she heard about the death of her daughter two hours ago. It isn't until towards the end of the movie, after we have spent a considerable amount of time with Linda, that we begin to understand that perhaps she can retain in a corner of her mind a much more solid picture of her lost daughter than a normal person can. This becomes clear in the "dancing" scene at the post-funeral gathering at Linda's place. In a sense, she has not really lost Vivienne.

Linda doesn't "do socials", as she explains to Alex right at the beginning. At times she seems closed to everything around her but she is not entirely unreachable. At times (especially on important things) she is more sensible than "normal" people, such as in the way she deals with her daughter's death. At other times, she is irritating, or even exasperating, but endearingly so. Sounds absurd but just watch Weaver make this character believable – it's a Sigourney Weaver you've never seen before.

Also never seen before is Carrie-Anne Moss, playing warm hearted neighbour Maggie with sensuousness in such a mellowed sort of way that will make you gasp. All of a sudden, you realise that watching too much "Alien" and "Matrix" has blurred your perception to what these two wonderful actresses are capable of. I am not too surprised that so many people go to see Snowcake just because of Rickman. They will of course be delighted to get a lot more than Rickman, but he alone is a good enough reason. Although not quite to the extent of Murray's minimalism in "Broken Flowers", Rickman plays a remorseful man with subdued hesitancy. It's when Alex interacts with Linda that they both come to life. In addition to those three, there is an excellent supporting cast, particularly Emily Hampshire.

One final word: somewhere in the middle of the movie, there is one moment when the audience of the show I attended broke out in spontaneous, thunderous applause. You should have no problem recognizing it – Rickman was speaking – and you'll probably get the same reaction in your show anyway.

I am not sure when "Snowcake" will be screened commercially or go to the film festival in your city. But when it does, don't miss it.

From director Marc Evans (My Little Eye), this mix of both comedic and tragic moments is a very good look at Autism, almost as effective as Rain Man. Basically Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman) is a recently released (for murder) man travelling to Winnipeg to see an old friend, and along the way he gives the annoying, but vivacious Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire). He may not have wanted to at first, and just when he warms to her eccentric nature, the vehicle is in a serious automobile accident, killing Vivienne. After talking to the police, he sees the address of Vivienne's mother, and decides to speak to her. After a difficult meeting with the mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver), he afterwards talks to neighbour Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who explains to him that she has autism. Linda wants him to stay till after the funeral, the day the garbage is collected, and he agrees. In the days leading up to it, Alex makes a partner with Maggie and a few other friends, and learning more about Linda's uniqueness he also finds himself letting out past demons, such as his son's death and the man he killed. The moments that really get to you are the Scrabble game with made up words and an example of their use, and of course, the end, when Alex leaves Linda a cake made of snow (because she likes to eat it, and has no temperature sense), and it is Maggie that takes the garbage out for her. Also starring James Allodi as Clyde, Janet Van De Graaf as Meryl, Julie Stewart as Florence, Selina Cadell as Diane Wooton, Callum Keith Rennie as John Neil and David Fox as Dirk Freeman. I can have some understanding of the character of Linda (not in exactly the same way), because I myself have a form of Autism called Asperger's Syndrome. Weaver is very compelling, Rickman makes the most of his self-grieving character, and the support from Moss and the brief Hampshire are good too, a good tragicomedy. Very good!

If you think this is one of those dull and oh-so-PC movies about autistic people, think again! Nothing could be further from the reality. 'Snow Cake', much to my surprise and delight, turned out to be an exhilarating, sexy, poignant, movie that was full of love, redemption, and healing. And no, don't worry, the sex wasn't with the autistic character! I had heard about this movie the other day on BBC Radio 4, when Sigourney Weaver was interviewed on 'Women's Hour', I think it was. Whatever the radio show--- even that interview made it sound a bit 'well meaning' and earnest. And that makes for one dull-ass movie! Therefore, while the interview raised my desire from zero to maybe 35 percent, I still was hesitant to go and see it.

I wish I had proper words to describe what a masterpiece this is. And it was a masterpiece, perhaps, because it was NOT obviously 'arty' or 'important'. It was about people. Real people. Wounded people. Alan Rickman delivered what is perhaps the best role of his career. Sigourney Weaver's performance as the lady with autism was so seamless that if I didn't know better, I'd think she WAS autistic. And the young woman who played the daughter, Emily Hamspshire I think her name is--- she was a refreshing dose of realism. We should watch for her as a rising new star. And Carrie-Anne Moss was fantastic as the sex interest.

This movie is simple and straightforward. Yet, nothing was predictable, either. I just loved it. This is exactly the kind of movie treasure that movie lovers usually can only dream of finding. And to think, I only saw it 'accidentally', because I had already seen everything else at the cinema.

I am SO glad I went! The movie, I promise, is NOT about autism, or how we treat sufferers, or any other boring PC diatribe. It is about ME. And YOU. It's about all of us, and our hearts, and the inspiration and healing and good luck that we all yearn for, and we all deserve. Now, after this movie, the picture of what is possible is bigger, clearer, and stronger for me. Now THAT is a gift to me! Thank you, cast and makers of 'Snow Cake'!

Snow Cake is a Canadian film which had many more favorable reviews than negative ones. I believe there is little argument that it was Sigourney Weaver's performance that drew people to the film, resulting in all the accolades. And I would agree that the single most compelling aspect of the film is the multi-layered character that Weaver plays: 'Linda', a fully functioning adult autistic woman. Linda seemed pretty believable to me as Weaver captures both the childlike simplicity of the character as well as the torment. The screenwriter, Angela Pell, certainly knows something about autism, since she raised an autistic son.

What's fascinating about Linda is that her emotional life is so bifurcated. On one hand, she's a simple child who is intimately connected to nature—the snow cake symbolizing the connection she feels to the earth—perhaps her greatest joy is to experience the snow melting in her mouth. But on the other hand, as an adult, she's unable to let herself be intimate with anyone who seeks to get close to her. She creates boundaries, such as not allowing anyone into her kitchen; and like all those who suffer from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, resorts to maintaining order in the environment, in order to avoid contact with those who attempt to form a relationship with her. Even when she allows someone to touch her (when, for example, she asks Alex to 'hug' her), she insists that he wrap his arms around her without using his hands. There is an additional aspect that makes Linda such a rich character: her creativity. One of the most enjoyable moments in the film is when she plays scrabble with Alex, using only made-up words.

Vivienne, Linda's daughter, is also another fascinating character who we only meet briefly at the beginning of the film as she's soon killed in the accident. Rather than viewing Vivienne as having been "damaged" by the lack of a 'normal' mother figure, she's actually a young woman who's learned to cope in the face of a difficult upbringing. What's more, she's incorporated the positive, creative aspects of her mother's personality that makes her so endearing. Another very powerful moment in the film, is the father's eulogy of Vivienne, in which he conveys the strength of her character and the enormous sense of loss as a result of her tragic death.

Pell is less successful with the other characters in her film. Alex is also supposed to be 'damaged goods' as we eventually learn of his back story: he killed the man responsible for the death of the son he was on his way to meet for the first time. It's obvious why Pell has the emotionally stunted Alex on his way to a first meeting and not having met the son before: by depriving Alex of meeting the son, he loses his mind and kills the victim (a drunk driver) in a fit of rage. I wanted to find out more about Alex—instead , he's pretty much depicted as a one-note character, severely depressed due to his earlier loss of control as well as guilt over the death of Vivienne.

Alex overcomes his depression by reaching out and helping Linda. But he also moves forward through his relationship with Maggie, perhaps the least convincing character in the film. I just didn't get why Maggie would jump into bed so fast with Alex or why she's attracted to him at all. After all, it's not like she hasn't had other men in her life. What's more, she has no idea who this Alex character is. On the surface, it's obvious he's depressed. Maggie is the artificial love interest that also serves as an impetus to repair Alex's damaged soul. Indie dramas are littered with these saintly characters with their perennial 'hearts of gold'!

Aside from the saintly Maggie and Alex, along with Linda's loving parents, most of the rest of the townspeople come off as wholly unsympathetic as they feign tolerance and sympathy for Linda but behind her back secretly have contempt for her. In one of the deleted scenes on the DVD, a woman comes up to Alex in a McDonald's and compliments Alex on the good job he's been doing with her; Alex turns around and slyly tells the woman that Linda is his wife! I'm not sure why the scene was deleted but perhaps the director sensed that it was too didactic: the 'moral' Alex must teach a lesson to one of the uncaring townspeople. The idea of a collective group of uncaring townspeople as the films' collective 'antagonist' doesn't work precisely people are much more complicated and nuanced as the film's scenarist suggests.

This might seem odd, but the thing that bothered me most about 'Snow Cake' is the screenwriter's failure to explain the nature of the accident. Why is everything left so vague when the truck driver piles into Alex and Vivienne? Wouldn't the circumstances of the accident have been broadcast on the nightly news? By leaving the nature of the accident vague, this allows Alex to act with hostility toward the truck driver (barring him from bringing the flowers to Linda). But had Alex knew what really happened, he couldn't have used that as an excuse to be angry with the truck driver. The confrontation between the two seems forced and sets up the sentimental scene in the church where Alex 'forgives' the driver (which he has no right to do, since presumably the death of Vivienne was an accident!).

As a psychological portrait of a fully functioning adult autistic woman and her quirky but vibrant teenage daughter, Snow Cake hits the mark. But most of the rest of the Snow Cake characters, particularly Maggie and Alex, never rise above the level of caricature. For all its well-meaning sensitivity, Snow Cake is more a fairy tale than a story that could actually happen in real life.

Snow Cake is a well-crafted story set convincingly in the winter landscape of Canada.

Potential loose ends in the story are adequately covered. These include how the central autistic character, Linda managed initially to become pregnant and how Alex comes to terms with past "demons". Such demons are essential to the story and are revived when a truck smashes into the side of his car, killing a young hitchhiker. (Having often driven both the right and left vehicles however, I'm still intrigued as to why Alex wouldn't have taken the main impact of the fatal accident.

That aside, in many ways the movie deserves the four stars' credit as shown on the DVD jacket.

Alan Rickman is excellent as Alex, Carrie-Anne plays an attractive version of Maggie and Vivienne is, perhaps mercifully, released early in the film with no indication of the actress' name on the DVD jacket - all according to plan.

Unfortunately, that leaves Sigourney Weaver's rendition of Linda.

Weaver obviously picks up a throwaway line in the script that describes Linda as "mad" and, from here, anything, and everything, goes. Weaver's portrayal of Linda as the autistic mother is inaccurate, indulgent and emotionally lazy.

Her co-star, English actor, Alan Rickman in "Something the Lord Made" for example, masterfully handles an American accent, arguably giving his central character greater deliberation and depth than may have been forthcoming from an American actor.

In "Snow Cake," Weaver conveniently assumes that Canadian and American accents are either indistinguishable, not worth differentiating, too difficult to try or even beneath her elevated fame.

Sadly, Weaver's portrayal subtracts at least one "star" from a good movie. Judging by this performance, she should stick to her Hollywood day job of bagging the United States and campaigning for the fall of the Bush Administration.

Wot! The Bush Administration's gone! Never mind, there's still Al Gore, more gore - and, of course, there's always global warming movies.

Very pleasant shallow meditation on doing unto others. Really excellent acting from a trite little script. Minimal amount of unnecessary direction. Good date movie.

The potentially maudlin subject matter is treated with some levity and some gravity, as the director steers a Sofia Coppola-lite course through vaguely defined relationships. A world is created in which nearly nothing is demanded of the viewer but faith. Faith, because most of the usual movie clues - story progression, character development - are in short supply, especially for the second twenty minutes.

It's no light matter to tell a good story with facile characters and no plot. In normal movies I have to want to know what's going to happen next. In this sort of tone poem, I have to trust the writer, director and actors to keep the world interesting. This script features what should be a showstopper - no real decisions necessary from any character. A choice-free plot. Even "Lost in Translation" had hard choices. But this works on a less stimulating level.

Okay, the surprise character reveals are no surprise; the convenience of the leggy neighbor is a little too convenient; but the mishandling of these elements somehow does not destroy the show. This is not the deepest exploration of any of its themes - loneliness, emotional instability, loss, kindness - but it is good because it tells us important things, if rather simply. Also because when it insults, it does so gently. Kind of like "Little Miss Sunshine," with a less offensive climax.