So frustrating to watch this intriguing movie peter out with such a whimper. Original it may not have been however First Snow is an interesting take on the well worn themes of fate and paranoia. I was not put off by the shifty salesman character (Jimmy Starks)portrayed by Guy Pearce ( with his best Travolta Pulp Fiction style hairdo).At first he appears cocky and confident but he has shady past written all over.Time to play catch up.
The style and tone of the movie to me was more David Lynch than the Coen brothers - the snowy mountainous backdrop did have a touch of Fargo however. Starks life changes after receiving a reading which reveals that he is on borrowed time. As events spiral out of control Jimmys paranoia forces his hand into continually making incorrect assumptions and wrong decisions When he eventually comes to terms with his destiny he tries to make amends by tying up loose ends It is worth noting that much of this involves money whether it be his life insurance policy, the juke box machine contract to the former colleague he sacked or the hard cash to compensate the former friend who he sent to prison.
And the ending - aaaagh. His on parole former friend appeared so unobtrusively menacing on the phone but in reality.... The unbearably overlong showdown between Stark and the on parole jail bird was a bit of an anticlimax complete with hackneyed dialogue, followed by a rushed conclusion with "what might have been" footage and a radio news broadcast denouement. Very disappointing.
The style and tone of the movie to me was more David Lynch than the Coen brothers - the snowy mountainous backdrop did have a touch of Fargo however. Starks life changes after receiving a reading which reveals that he is on borrowed time. As events spiral out of control Jimmys paranoia forces his hand into continually making incorrect assumptions and wrong decisions When he eventually comes to terms with his destiny he tries to make amends by tying up loose ends It is worth noting that much of this involves money whether it be his life insurance policy, the juke box machine contract to the former colleague he sacked or the hard cash to compensate the former friend who he sent to prison.
And the ending - aaaagh. His on parole former friend appeared so unobtrusively menacing on the phone but in reality.... The unbearably overlong showdown between Stark and the on parole jail bird was a bit of an anticlimax complete with hackneyed dialogue, followed by a rushed conclusion with "what might have been" footage and a radio news broadcast denouement. Very disappointing.