The Snowman - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

The Snowman

Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score: ​

​

Movie
Woohoo! I don’t know if I’ve seen something that is this lost amidst the rubble of creativity before. Based off of a novel of the same name by famed author Jo Nesbo, The Snowman is one of those films that stands out as an example of how NOT to do a book-to-movie adaptation. I initially saw the snowy trailer a few months ago, but was really intrigued to see that it was directed by Tomas Alfredson (who did Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Let the Right One In). I love both of his last films, but was surprised that I had heard NO word of The Snowman even hitting theaters (even though it did, just with a decided whimper rather than a bang). Unfortunately, the movie was plagued with production issues out the yin yang, so my nervousness was growing by the month. Nervousness that would turn out to be a premonition, with The Snowman dive bombing during its theatrical run, and being one of the single worst movies I’ve seen this last year (12 month period, not just 2018).

The film revolves around the incredible detective Harry Hole (yes, you can snigger), a Norwegian detective who’s a bit of a lush and an oddball, but his results are impressive nonetheless. This is actually based off of the 7th book of Jo Nesbo’s popular series (which is a bit odd), and deals with Harry after he’s an established investigator. After a woman is kidnapped near Oslo, Harry (Michael Fassbender) is paired with a hotshot investigator named Katrine Bratt (Rebecca Ferguson) in order to track down whoever kidnapped her. Harry already has a few suspicions, but his instincts prove correct when a series of kidnappings and murders occur in subsequent succession, all with the same MO. Digging deep into cold case films from years ago, Harry and Katrine slowly begin to build a profile around the killer, and hopefully can capture him before another victim is brought into play.

The film is an epic mess that really does showcase WHY the production was so hindered behind the scenes. Characters act with seeming random intent, and the editing is just atrocious. The end story is nothing short of of incoherent scenes strung together with the ambiance and tone acting as the main source of narration in the film. Fassbender is usually such a visceral and intense actor, but here all we have is intense. Harry is your obviously tortured detective who drinks too much and doesn’t get much sleep, but it would be nice if he did anything other than mumble random sentences. Rebecca Ferguson is another actress who is on the rise lately, and while she gives it much more emotion and energy than Fassbender, the ludicrous writing makes all of her efforts moot. Val Kilmer makes a hilarious cameo as a detective in one of Harry’s cold cases studies (he’s LITERALLY unrecognizable. If I wasn’t checking the IMDB listing I never would have guessed it was him). Strangely enough, Kilmer appears to have been dubbed like an old Hong Kong Kung-fu film (bad lip movement and all), and even J.K. Simmons makes an appearance as a rich businessman who serves no other purpose than to be a red herring (and speaks a dozen lines at most).

The Snowman is pretty much all ambiance and atmosphere, with no substance. The film survives on editing that would embarrass a second year film student and moody atmosphere. Fassbender broods into the camera non stop, while Ferguson does her best to emote, but the horribly written script and poor editing robs both of them from having any lasting impact upon the film. Cinematographer Dion Beebe’s work is usually engaging, with wide spacious shots of the Norwegian country, but it’s never so good that it makes you forget about the ineptness of the editing (I keep coming back t o the editing for good reason. It’s so sharply done that I was brought out of the movie about a dozen times. A side effect of having two editors that were fighting with each other from all accounts).

Audiences will have a hard time connecting with the awkward thriller, as well as with the actors themselves. I personally don’t feel that it was the fault of said actors, but rather a script that just doesn’t allow more than crude caricatures, and brooding faces to shine through. The characters themselves aren’t really engaging, and by the end of the film I had a very difficult time finding any emotional resonance with ANYONE in the entire film. Even Harry himself.




Rating:

Rated R for grisly images, violence, some language, sexuality and brief nudity




Video:

Shot on Arri Alexa cameras and finished in 2K, The Snowman looks surprisingly filmic, despite the digital source used to capture it. Blasted in snow, and covered in a light teal color grading, the movie is bleak and barren, with long shots of the icy Norwegian countryside. Filled with the pale snow, the only things to offset the white and blue backdrops are the interior shots of Harry’s “command center”, as well as the party that Katrine goes to in order to try and entrap J.K. Simmon’s character. Blacks are usually GOOOD, but the contrast appears to be boosted, which blows out highlights and washes out the picture in some situations. Clarity can be startlingly good, with great up close and personal shots that show off plenty of fine details, ranging from the lines on Michael Fassbender’s face, to the creases in the automobile seat covers.





Audio:

The 7.1 DTS-HD MA track is probably the highlight of the movie, with a spacious sounding mix that really makes good use of the 2 extra rear channels afforded to the 7.1 experience. The swirling sound of the snowy atmosphere really pulls you into the cold and icy environment, and the use of Marco Belrami’s pulsating score creates an atmosphere of tension and good use of LFE. Surrounds are almost always in use with subtle directional cues (such as footsteps slapping against cement, or the whisper and crunch of snow from someone in the background). Dialog is always strong and clean (although the actor dubbing Val Kilmer sounded like he had cotton balls in his mouth). It’s a great mix, and easily the best part of the entire package.






Extras:

• Cast of Characters – Take an in-depth look at the cast of The Snowman
• Creating Jo Nesbø's World – Step inside the world of Harry Hole with best-selling author Jo Nesbø
• The Snowman Killer – Determine what becomes of the man in this making of the snowman killer
• Norwegian Landscape – Discover how location plays a big part in this film
• Stunt Files: The Sinking Lake – Director Tomas Alfredson breaks down the complex sinking lake stunt

Final Score: ​

The Snowman is a movie that, on paper, really SHOULD have worked. It’s directed by a very capable director, starring several excellent actors, and shot by a cinematographer with a great track record. It’s got mood, ambiance, and lots of tension, but is about as vapid and empty a film as you could possibly imagine. The film just doesn’t WORK on any tangible level, with a disjointed script that is sloppily edited together and leaves the actors talents sorely shoved to the side. I really WANTED to like the film due to the incredible talent in the movie (as well as the excellent series of novels the movie was based off of), but the movie sadly fails at just about every move it makes and leaves the audience dumbfounded at the ineptitude of the entire undertaking. The only good thing that comes out of this debacle is the great looking video and stunning audio that Universal has prepared for the Blu-ray. Skip It.





Technical Specifications:

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Written by: Peter Straughan, Hossein Amini, Jo Nesbo (Novels)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 7.1, French, Spanish DTS 5.1
Studio: Universal
Rated: R
Runtime: 119 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: January 16th, 2018

Image

• Michael Scott
• May 11, 2017

Recommendation: Skip It.

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Will skip it based on your review.

 

[phillihp23]

Easily could have been a made for TV movie. Not impressive.

 

[Michael Scott]

it did have a frustrating story/editing/production didn't it