A Coat of Snow

When looking at the previous review by (KATERINA) I found it hard to believe that we were watching the same film. This film by Gordy Hoffman showed the creativity and freedom of independent film making at it's absolute best.

I found the acting by the ensemble cast to be of the highest caliber. Each actor was completely in the moment, and the trust between the women who make up the group was nothing short of astonishing. The chemistry between director and cast was absolute from start to finish.

The film has a raw energy that compels the viewer. If you go into this movie with any pre-conceived ideas about film, or have rarely been exposed to this type of format, you may be in for a shock. After watching for just a short time, it was hard not to feel that I was really experiencing the event.

The fact that the public-at-large cannot just go out and see this film breaks my heart. If it appears at a festival that happens to be anywhere near you. GO GO GO GO GO and see it!!!!!!!!! As for it being as the other reviewer put it, a "Gob of Slush", well, I think I'll just put her review in front of the snow plow instead.

A Must See!

Looking at the previous comment, I wonder whether a film like this would work better as a play. But I have to see the flick to make an informed comment. I saw Gordy's (wrote the screenplay) LOVE LIZA. Bold and very moving with a powerful performance by Philip Seymour-Hoffman. That film was in the hands of Todd Louiso an excellent director and had a cast with people like Seymour-Hoffman and Jack Kehler (superb). My question is can Gordy "direct"? So many writers want to direct, actually think they can. The ones who do either fall on their faces or produce brilliant films. Where can I get a good DVD of this movie? It's not on Netflix, not even in the "coming" category.

For every talented young director, there are a thousand nuts with a cheap camera who think they are the next artiste. Such is the case with A Coat of Snow -- which, by the way, should have been plowed to the side of the road like A Glob of Slush. I don't care who this guy's brother is, this film is awful -- I mean, even Jimmy Carter had a brother.

Two minutes into the film I thought I was watching a high school film project, but then I realized that I was wrong, this wasn't even high school level, or if it were, it would have gotten a D minus.

It's not only that the film is amateurish, it's that the whole concept for the film is dull, uninspired and uninteresting. I thought I was being a good citizen by broadening my horizons and venturing out to Silver Lake to see this but I've learned my lesson.

There's a reason why big studios make big movies and a lot of people go to see them. There is also a reason why people like The Coen Brothers can take a hand held camera and make a masterpiece -- neither scenario applies where this film and it's director are concerned. I get so annoyed by this new trend in Hollywood and I feel compelled to lash out against endless feet of film and video that should go straight into the shredder.

I would tell you to save your money but this film won't be shown anywhere so there's no danger of that. The danger however is that this trend will continue until eventually EVERYBODY will have a movie on YouTube and there will be no more Fargos or Citizen Kanes. Sounds like a stretch I know, but I see bad things ahead.

Katerina

I got to see this film at the Silver Lake Film festival March 26th and when it first started I thought to myself "Oh no, please don't make have to sit through this." For starters - its hand held on a digital camera - being shot like a home video it's rough, it's raw its all over the place - and here I was thinking another Hack - with a camera - decided he was going to make a movie. Well i was pleasantly surprised.

The story revolves around a group of girls getting set to celebrate a bachelor party - thus is why the film is shot like a home video. As the night goes on nothing goes right - everything falls apart and big secret is revealed. I don't want to give the film away.

Anyway Gordy Hoffman re-affirms the number one thing that can take a film that doesn't look good, has no special affects - and remind us that even the worse visual conditions can be over looked when you have talented actors'.

It was no surprise to me that the actors rehearsed for years why the story was being developed. And it showed. I was quickly disproved that this was a hack who got a camera - he invested the time in the work and - The work paid off.

Just like "Thomas Vinterberg" Along with Lars Von Trier "founding "brothers" of dogme95, a set of rules dedicated to reintroducing the element of risk in film-making" with his classic Festen or US Title The Celebration, A Coat of Snow proves that people can and will be emotionally invested in a story - with out having to be dictated to by the Hollywood machine via sound tracks, cheap camera tricks as long as the fundamental instrument used to tell the story - in this case - the actors' - is well tuned.

A Coat of Snow captures the secretive world of female pecking orders. The actors - all women, are vulnerable and funny and get to something really hard to capture - true friendship between women and what kinds of secrets can be kept - or revealed.

Because of the hand-held style, I was waiting for the big Blair Witch type of thing to happen, but then I became so engrossed in the power plays between the women in the film, I found that the truth of the film was actually on every frame.

This film is hard to summarize, and in some ways, it would make an incredible play because it relies entirely on the acting and storytelling of strong characters being put into uncomfortable situations. I also don't want to give away the big "secret" at the end - but suffice to say, this is something entirely different and definitely worth watching. I hope it gets out to a wide audience. I saw it in a sold-out premiere of the Silver Lake Film Festival and everyone was affected at the end. You couldn't hear a sound in the theater when the credits started to roll.