I don't know if I should be disappointed in David Gordon Green or what. I watched his latest film Snow Angels today, which is an adapted work from a novel by Stewart O'Nan. Green showed some great potential with his earlier films George Washington and All The Real Girls, but ever since Undertow, his films have just been stuck in muck.
The biggest problem with this film is that there are too many losers with too many problems. Again, we're given glimpses of people in a small town and they suffer one tragedy after another. The only thing realistic and good about the film is the relationship between the two teenagers, as opposed to the adults, who are just ridiculous. Yes someone will have the occasional affair, or have the occasional drinking problem, but not to this degree. On a film level, just in terms of cinema, this is not in a league with his first two, though Green does manage to sprinkle in the realistic dialogue, even though the characters are not particularly memorable or interesting people.
"Oh you're just criticizing it because it's a 'tragic tale' and you're biased against films about working class losers," is what you're thinking. Not at all. Snow Angels actually reminded me of a worse version of The Jimmy Show--in that it's not nearly as well written and not as realistic. Yes, there is power to be found in realism. The guy who plays Kate Beckinsale's husband is just a ridiculous, cliched character, and the last third of the film devolves into soap opera trash.
The only thing redeemable is the relationship between Arthur and the teenage girl, and there are some other good dialogue moments, but Snow Angels was very, very disappointing, largely in part because I thought the film was off to a good start, and then it just took the cheap, Hollywood way out. Granted, since this film is based on O'Nan's novel, it's not really Green's "fault" per se, but why choose poor material to work with? Why is Green, who clearly has screenwriting talent, wasting his time on these adapted screenplays? His best work is his own material.
How critics could rave about this and criticize his earlier work just shows how dumbed down they like it. Sorry, but drowning, alcoholism, adultery, murder and suicide shoved into one just does not work. The film spent TOO MUCH TIME on this boring shit, when it should have been focusing on Arthur and his relationship with his dad (Griffin Dunne) who, by the way, is far more interesting than Sam Rockwell's loser character.
Watching this only made me want to rewrite the damn thing from start to finish. Ugh. Bad, bad stuff. And any good is ultimately drowned out by all the bad. I certainly won't be reaching for a Stewart O'Nan book anytime soon. Another film this reminds me of is a lesser Sweet Hereafter, even though that's not a great film either. Here's the trailer:
And here's a real snow angel for you.
