SNOW ANGELS
Friday 6:15 8:30
Saturday (*4:00) 6:15 8:30
Sunday (*4:00) 6:15
Monday (*5:15) 7:30
Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday 7:00
United States. 2008. Directed by David Gordon Green.
(106 mins.) Rated R.
 "...tender and searing." - Owen Glieberman, Entertainment Weekly
"SNOW ANGELS opens with a virtuosic montage of a high school marching band trying to satisfy their grumpy conductor. The whole dynamics of high school can be seen as the football team runs drills and a pretty girl watches the band from the sidelines. But the unmistakable sound of a tragedy abruptly cuts off the conductor's lecture. David Gordon Green's cinematic adaptation of Stewart O'Nan's novel poetically studies the divide between innocence and tragedy, discovery and disappointment. With a deep understanding of his characters, Green has crafted a film that's devastating and uplifting without sounding a false note. The film weaves together stories of young love and betrayed love. The marching band member at the center of the opening scene, Arthur (Michael Angarano) copes with the separation of his parents while finding new romance with Lila (JUNO sidekick Olivia Thirlby). He works at a Chinese restaurant with his former babysitter, Annie (Kate Beckinsale) whose unstable ex-husband, Glenn (Sam Rockwell), struggles to rebuild his relationship with her and their daughter. He may have gotten his life back together and quit drinking, but it's clear that his psyche is still fragile -- keen to spiral back into chaos when the first sign of bad news gives him an excuse. Beckinsale plays off her costar nicely as a frustrated mother who can't cope with the responsibility of ensuring his mental health. The heart of the story lies not in the tragedy of Annie and Glenn, but in the parallel story of young lovers finding their way, and Angarano and Thirlby firmly establish themselves as talented upcoming stars. Thirlby gives Lila the kind of enthusiasm for photography and life that makes it hard not to fall in love with her. Angarano, best known for his recurring role on Will and Grace and as the younger version of Patrick Fugit in ALMOST FAMOUS, cycles between the exuberant joy of Arthur's romantic feelings and reality-check conflicts with his father (Griffin Dunne). Green's direction and details offer an even deeper connection with the character. Arthur's conversations with his mother (Jeanetta Arnette) are sweet and understanding, not smothered in the intense angst of most teen-parent relationships movies. Green and cinematographer Tim Orr's camera follows the characters with cautious curiosity, happy for their triumphs and fearful of their troubles. The fluid movement tries to pull the characters along, even if they occasionally need to stop and be pulled out of frame. As the film builds, it captures all the hope and worries that come with being human." FILM THREAT |
Some Will Fall. Some Will Fly. |
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