Posted by
Emmett of the Unblinking Eye on Thursday, April 05, 2007 12:18:34 PM
Caught a screening of First Snow late last night, primarily because I think that
Guy Pearce (best known for Memento and LA Confidential, and who should be better known for the magnificent The Proposition) is one of the finest and most versatile actors working in film today, and
J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson in the Spiderman series) is one of the finest supporting actors. And neither disappolinted.
Pearce plays a driven small-time flooring salesman in New Mexico with a secret, sordid past and a passion for Wurlitzer juke boxes. When his car breaks down in the middle of the desert, he finds his way to a roadside fortune teller (Simmons) who will tell his fortune for $10.00 ("It's what you can afford"). After a few innocuous predictions, Simmons seizes up, ends the session, and refunds his money -- but refuses to tell Pearce what he saw. When the innocuous predictions prove true, Pearce finds Simmons again, and forces him to admit what he saw -- that Pearce would not see the first snowfall ("Guess I'd better move to Florida"). From that prediction Pearce's life begins to spiral downward to an ambiguous and, unfortunately, largely unsatisfying end.
Although flawed, First Snow is well worth finding if it comes to you area. Pearce is simply marvelous, and the understated performances of Simmons and
Jackie Burroughs as the mother of Pearce's former partner (
Shea Whigham) make the ride worthwhile. Highly recommended if you want to get away from the current spate of action/slasher films.