Snowman's Land

I was at the German premiere night and I love this film. Kaurismäki, Cohen Brothers, von Trier and Faith Akin all rolled into one. Great cast, but the scenes with Eva-Katrin Hermann, Thomas Wodianka and Jürgen Rißmann should be singled out for their blue touch paper comedic timing and dramatic control.

Lensed by Ralf M. Mendle on Red, there's not a single duff shot in the film. The script is a delight and the direction is masterly. Thomasz Thomson helmed this low-budget cult pic: he will definitely be back with another in-your-eye script and a way bigger production budget. Watch this space.

Disclaimer: I have no work or financial involvement in this film.

This movie is not very typical of German (dark) comedies -- it's intelligently written and well thought out. The actors do a great job of making situations which could easily fall flat very enjoyable to watch and the dialogue is strong.

It is easy to root for and sympathize with the main character, even when his actions are questionable; the actor does a great job of pulling off the role. The movie is quiet and reserved, there is no slapstick or cheesy dialogue to keep things moving. It remains suspenseful, however, until the end. Definitely worth seeing if you enjoy untraditional comedies.

This "thriller" has a wandering yet fittingly weird plot, but the film sets the role of acting (and the lines actors are given to work with) into unusually high relief. A laconic loser whose expression almost never changes (with perfectly greasy hair) is coupled with a younger, fun-loving guy very much NOT of the overdone stoner-dude type that populates so many American movies. It takes a lot to worry this childlike "man," and the actor is possessed of a sweet, rubbery face of infinite expressiveness that makes the story a true joy to watch. For example, the transformations that flicker across his increasingly lustful countenance as a hot babe talks about sex are a wonder -- this is method acting at its most delightful. He's got a metal plate in his head that makes it bullet-resistant, which could have been cartoonish, but is somehow just right for his character. He's a 33-year-old (my guess) who never left junior high. His companion pulls his weight in the other direction with his world-weary ennui (not to mention boredom, anxiety and flickers of intelligence and terror). It's weirdly fun to watch an occasionally very suspenseful movie carried along by two such un-German Germans (to those familiar with Germans as they're usually portrayed). I was very entertained by this film.

In the dark realm of comedic exposition, films come and go. Location is always a factor. Dark and cold tend to coexist as partners in a loop.(Think Fargo) And this film displays both the dark, in humor, and the cold within the setting.

The emotional setting is clearly set in opening pieces to amusing extent. The acting and character development support this quite well.

Soooooo.....

Our aging, anti-hero,(a hit man) kills the wrong guy, in a botched job, and ruins his own dwindling reputation as a killer to the effect that he has been put to pasture. A former colleague offers him a job baby-sitting a former client that had been reported as dead. "Former" is an operative term here.

Our guy accepts the job, stoically, and goes forth into the dark unknown of the wintered Carpathian mountains in Eastern Europe to fatefully encounter yet another former colleague whose wits seem at odds with his lack of...well...wit.

They soon learn that all is not well in this frigid paradise, as a wonderfully cliché, gangster, bitch shows up and happens to enjoy being the clients toy. She has her own agenda and somehow becomes dead while our heroes are present. Sorry, no spoilers. That's the premise.

Dark comedy ensues as loyalties consume all to twisted ends. The acting is quite good and direction is directed upon a cast and film crew that know their setting. Scripting seems fairly tight and is carried forth by the basic pivot of the whores death...Although, I feel this plot device may have been developed more in the intro to the setting. But then, she was caprice in a shell.

All in all, a great romp and the dialog was well suited to the characters and situations. Only a European crew could do this the way it was done. I highly recommend this film to any fan of dark comedy, especially those with a mood for snow and ice, haha.

I love the title. I think it's a nice wordplay. But when the movie starts you almost feel that it could go completely wrong. The voice over feels wrong. Then it does seem as if it does mix in with the mood of the film. A very slow moving thriller if you will. Very bad things may happen here and nobody may notice.

But that's also sort of its downfall. The fact, that it is very uneven, having great scenes followed by very weak scenes. Great performances with just completely weird dialog. Potential in the script that does not get fully explored and exposed. Ideas that seem to get thrown out the window halfway through. Still in its weirdness it stays kind of engaging. If you like weird that is.