Carrie-Anne Moss is best known for her role as Trinity, Sigourney Weaver is best known for her role as Ellen Ripley, and arguably, Alan Rickman is best known for his role as Professor Snape (though he was by far the best villain in the entire Die Hard anthology). What do you get when you throw them all together? You get a heart-warming film about snow. Okay, it's a heartwarming film about a man with a guilty conscience dealing with the death of the daughter of a high-functioning autistic adult. Alan Rickman recommended Weaver for the role of Linda (the autist), which was a stunningly perfect choice. To prepare, Signourney Weaver studied with Ros Blackburn (a REAL autist) and was awarded Neurotypical of the Year by GRASP for her continued involvement in the Asperger's community well after her professional obligation was fulfilled. Her performance is remarkable, keeping me on the edge of my seat to see how she reacted to every statement and action around her. Alan Rickman learned nothing new about autism prior to filming, which helps to make his character genuine. Where does Carrie-Anne Moss come in? She's the one neurotypical (meaning someone *not* on the autism spectrum) person in the tiny little town of Wawa that judges Alex (played by Alan, go figure) by his actions, rather than his past.Snow Cake is Dazlious (sorry, you'll have to watch it to know what that means), and a remarkable commentary on what it means to be a good person. I spent about as much time laughing my ass off as I did with tears welling up in my eyes, during snow-critter creation, comic-book Scrabble, and cleaning up dog vomit. The dialogue is natural, the conflicts are recognisable, and for most people that would be watching, the emotions are familiar, but the situation is absolutely unique. To anyone who suspects that they may misunderstand autism: watch this movie. If you stick to movies that involve gun-waving, shit blowing up, car chases, and other types of fantastical tomfoolery (don't get me wrong, I love those movies), then it's your loss.
Another remarkable performance by each of Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, and Carrie-Anne Moss.
This review intrigued me, so now I can't wait to watch my Netflix. It's here, but the watching may have to wait until I'm in Maine on Monday. :o) And Maine's a good place to see a movie about snow.
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