Fab Friday's Review: "Snow Cake"

This week just flew by. And sadly the weekend will not bring any relieve, but will probably turn me into a crusty curmudgeon by Monday morning (I'll be in dire need of some mancandy! Any suggestions so that I don't have to go out hunting myself?) 

Anyways, I had planned on doing a Fab Friday review on the Parasol Protectorate books by Gail Carriger, from which I recently read the second and third installments, but upon watching "Snow Cake" last night, I decided to review that first and post the Parasol Protectorate review next Friday (look forward to werewolves, vampires, bustles and steampunk.)

Now back to "Snow Cake". OMG, how did I miss that gem of a movie? Apparently it was shown at the Berlinale 2006 and even nominated for the Golden Bear, and then it came out in German movie theaters in November 2006. 9 months after the Berlinale, why oh why do they keep doing that to us in Germany? Wouldn't it make sense to use the publicity generated by this MAJOR event to push these movies? I mean, really, "An Education" (another movie I wholeheartedly recommend) came out almost a year after being shown at the Berlinale. And as it was in the cinemas for only about two weeks, I almost missed it. I guess that is what happened with "Snow Cake". I almost missed it on TV last night, too, if not my friend A. had posted an alert on facebook. So I got myself some chocolate, got comfortable on my sofa and turned the TV to one of my favorite stations, ARTE, to enjoy 112 minutes of fine acting, uninterrupted by commercials (thank you, ARTE).

And let me tell you, that was some FINE acting. Dear me, I have been a devoted fan of Alan Rickman for decades now (uh-uh, that makes me feel old, now), but the way he portrayed this vulnerable, hurt, grieving man...wow, it's breathtaking. And all this done in such a minimalistic (I cannot think of a better way to describe it) way that every nuance in his facial impression has a meaning, changes the atmosphere, transports you right into his soul, oh boy, I was stunned. Equally stunning was Sigourney Weaver's portrayal of an autistic woman. This es a tricky thing to do for an actor/actress because it can go so horribly, horribly wrong. But not this time. No this was done with so much love for detail and understanding, never ridiculing this condition but instead letting the character of Linda evolve as a person in her own right.
I don't want to give any spoilers. So I'll give you just the plot synopsis from imdb.com:

Alex Hughes, an ex-convict, is on a road trip to Winnipeg to see an old friend. Along the way, he meets the annoying, but vivacious, Vivienne Freeman who manages to bum a ride with him. Just as he begins to warm to this eccentric girl, Alex's vehicle is in a serious automobile accident that kills Vivienne. After his meeting with the police, Alex decides to speak with Vivienne's mother. Upon arrival at her home, Alex discovers that the mother, Linda, is a highly functional autistic woman who convinces him to stay long to take out the garbage the day after the funeral he agrees to arrange. In those few days, Alex discovers new friends and learns more about the uniqueness of Linda even as he struggles to come to terms with his own grief. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

As Alex (Rickmann) slowly gets to know and understand Linda (Weaver) better, we the audience are taken further and further into the world of hers and we sympathize with her, we laugh with her and we cry with her. Oh boy, did I cry. I was bawling my eyes out. You know me, I'm a sucker for those happily ever afters, those happy ends where everybody is truly happy (except maybe the evil (step)mother). I usually feel cheated when everything does not fall into place at the end. (Yeah I know, terribly realistic and mature...but hey, if real life sucks so much, I want my fantasies to be happy....) This is not one of those movies. Yet strangely enough, while going through my box of tissues I have seldom felt so comforted at the same time. That's what it is, a comforting movie. Not an easy one mind you (see all that bawling), but a hopeful one.