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Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential), Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) and JK Simmons (Thank You For Smoking, Spiderman 1-3) star in this intriguing thriller about a man whose life spins out of control after psychic tells him his days are numbered. After his car breaks down in a desolate town, a slick salesman, Jimmy Starks (Pearce), visits a fortune teller (Simmons) to kill some time. But the psychic’s ominous reading sends Jimmy’s life into a tailspin when he learns that his life will soon end, but he is safe at least, until the first snow of the season. Now, with his ultimate fate looming nearer, Jimmy becomes obsessed with revisiting his past in hopes of changing his destiny before it’s too late.
With a thriller as low-key as First Snow, dynamic acting is a must. Fortunately, Guy Pearce (Memento) owns the screen as slick salesman Jimmy Starks. In his first film, Oscar-nominated writer Mark Fergus (Children of Men) forgoes visual effects in favor of an increasingly complex narrative. As in many Stephen King novels, the story centers on the collision between a man of reason and a man of faith--in the supernatural, that is. The foreshadowing begins when Starks visits fortune teller Vacaro (J.K. Simmons, Spider-Man). Starks assumes he's a fellow hustler. Then his every prediction comes true. On a return trip, Vacaro tells him he'll be dead by first snow, but can't say how or when. Should Starks put his affairs in order, enjoy his time with girlfriend Deirdre (Piper Perabo), or just do nothing? Then again, snow seems unlikely for Albuquerque. Over the next few days, several possible culprits come to light, like Andy (Rick Gonzalez), an assistant Starks fired, and Vince (Shea Wigham), a partner he sold down the river. Convinced one of them is going to seek revenge, Starks becomes so paranoid he opens the door to disaster. Fergus excels in keeping the tension at a low boil, but he undersells the climax. Still, it's a nice change from all the mysteries that build in intensity before collapsing in a heap of improbabilities. First Snow is rooted in the real world from the first frame to the last. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
With a thriller as low-key as First Snow, dynamic acting is a must. Fortunately, Guy Pearce (Memento) owns the screen as slick salesman Jimmy Starks. In his first film, Oscar-nominated writer Mark Fergus (Children of Men) forgoes visual effects in favor of an increasingly complex narrative. As in many Stephen King novels, the story centers on the collision between a man of reason and a man of faith--in the supernatural, that is. The foreshadowing begins when Starks visits fortune teller Vacaro (J.K. Simmons, Spider-Man). Starks assumes he's a fellow hustler. Then his every prediction comes true. On a return trip, Vacaro tells him he'll be dead by first snow, but can't say how or when. Should Starks put his affairs in order, enjoy his time with girlfriend Deirdre (Piper Perabo), or just do nothing? Then again, snow seems unlikely for Albuquerque. Over the next few days, several possible culprits come to light, like Andy (Rick Gonzalez), an assistant Starks fired, and Vince (Shea Wigham), a partner he sold down the river. Convinced one of them is going to seek revenge, Starks becomes so paranoid he opens the door to disaster. Fergus excels in keeping the tension at a low boil, but he undersells the climax. Still, it's a nice change from all the mysteries that build in intensity before collapsing in a heap of improbabilities. First Snow is rooted in the real world from the first frame to the last. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Pictures
7 Pictures of First Snow (2007)
Poster Pictures
2 Poster Pictures of First Snow (2007)
Theatrical release date
2007-03-23
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