Snow Cake

Plot synopsis:
When the eccentric drifter Vivienne Freeman gets a ride from a reluctant recluse Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman), she is killed by a transport truck side ramming the car, while Alex only gets a nosebleed. Everybody agrees that it is not Alex's fault. He visits Vivienne's mother, Linda (Sigourney Weaver), to deliver Vivienne's gifts and to provide support. She has been informed about her daughter's death a few hours before Alex's visit, but does not show any signs of grief. However, she has a cleanliness mania which involves her constantly making sure everything in her home is neat, and prevents her from touching garbage bags. Her problem is finding someone who will put the garbage outside to be collected, as this was always something done by her daughter. Linda insists that Alex stay a few days so that he can do it for her. He agrees and also arranges Vivienne's funeral.
During his stay he begins a relationship with one of Linda's neighbors, Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who Linda mistakenly thinks is a prostitute. A local policeman warns Maggie of Alex's intentions because he has just served time for a man's murder. Maggie does not confront Alex about the matter, but instead waits until he brings the subject up himself. Alex reveals that he killed the man who caused his son's death in a car crash while his son was on his way to meet Alex for the first time — Alex had only recently learned about his existence, the result of an affair a long time ago.
Linda dislikes Maggie to the point where she initially refuses her help. But after Alex leaves to see the mother of his son, she allows Maggie to come into her home and help her.

Tags: psychedelic, cute

Review:
This is the world of Linda Freeman, high-functioning autistic.There are two sides to Linda: the world she lives in is undoubtedly extraordinary - her version of Scrabble leaves Alan Rickman's character (Alex Hughes) looking severely unevolved - but it is balanced by her lack of empathy for 'normal' people.
What makes Weaver's performance so remarkable is that she conveys the logical certitude of Linda's position with such force that we, like Alex, start feeling a bit dumb.
If Rain Man was the gold-medallist of autism, Linda Freeman is simply a non-glamorised regular sportswoman, and in that she conveys a more real person than any Hollywood-ised super-character.Alex (Alan Rickman) opens the film, flicking poignantly at a small photo as he sits out a long flight.
A very down to earth script ensures the laughs are grounded (Love Actually but without the unbelievability), even if in most cases Rickman is principally a foil for other characters: such as when Linda likens eating snow to an orgasm or Maggie breaks off dinner because she hates having sex on a full stomach.We soon realise that Linda's childlike behaviour thinly disguises a penetrating intelligence, but her intelligence doesn't enable her to solve everyday problems such as putting the rubbish out.
It is not only heart-warming and moving but a great insight to the lives of not only people suffering from autism but the people around them too.Snowcake is a must see for anyone who enjoys to watch a well written all-round good film!
Without giving anything away, I couldn't work out why Alex (Rickman) was so antagonistic towards the truck driver but the film answers the question near the end when Alex's past tragedy becomes clear; also, the attention to the characters in particular was outstanding.
Vivienne (Hampshire) has the interesting quirk of putting her McDonalds fries in her burger and then eating it, Linda (Weaver) is able to identify that Alex is wearing her 'third favourite sweater' and all throughout the film, sounds and noises in the background of dogs barking, birds chirping and distant traffic puts us there.I got the feeling that before every take whilst shooting; the filmmakers thought of everything they possibly could to either hint at past and unseen events or just ask themselves 'this situation has arisen  what would happen' and this is where the script being re-written and thought through on such an impressive level comes in that it's hard to think of another recent film that is as impressive as this.
Having Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Ann Moss away from trying to either blow up John McLane, fight off Aliens or box a bunch of Agent Smiths is a real treat and you quickly forget who's who  these are really recognisable faces in a film you don't expect them to be in and for me to forget who they are and just accept them as characters is really impressive.
I especially liked the way that Alex and Maggie's lakeside conversation was intercut with shots of melting ice coming apart as Alex himself describes how his life melted away and came apart when he suffered his past tragedy  again, attention to detail is the key here as a seemingly straight forward conversation has been thought through with shots of melting ice.Snow Cake is the sort of film you watch and allow yourself to get wrapped up in.
I would be blown away if she gets an Oscar nod and although I have not yet seen the Queen, Helen Mirren probably has a lock this year, but I hope this performance is seen and remembered at awards time.Alan Rickman plays a tortured soul like no other actor, and gives a moving performance.
Mr. Rickman's portrayal of a flawed Alex Hughes is utterly flawless in and of itself.From what I have read, the most controversial aspect of Snow Cake is in Sigourney Weaver's performance.
I'm very appreciative that Ms. Weaver studied her part so thoroughly, whereas some actors would have not done nearly as meticulous a job of getting into the mind of an autistic person.I've watched Snow Cake five times even within the past three days, and I have yet to tire of its breathtakingly moving performances, beautiful artistic cinematography, and heart-wrenching storyline.
The voice of Alan Rickman, the sensuality of Carrie-Ann Moss and the the brilliant mixture of childishness and maturity in the Sigourney Weaver character.
I saw it at the International Film Fest (in Berlin), where it was also nominated for best Director.The movie starts with the introduction of Alan Rickmans character, who is obviously a man who isn't open to the world.
Her characters are human to the core and we become absorbed in their lives and really care about them.The movie centers on the fine acting of Alan Rickman as Alex Hughes, Carrie Ann Moss as Maggie and most importantly, Sigourney Weaver as Linda Freeman.
so I braced myself for a boring and well-planned travel through sentimental-land, with all the buttons pushed at the right time, to force you to squeeze your tear ducts in your eyes.Mind you, I like everything that has Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver or Carrie-Anne Moss, in it, but I was wondering why these three would congregate to make a "romantic drama".At first, at the opening of the movie (a bit slow-paced for my taste), nothing new on the western horizon.
If you haven't seen her work in this movie, you simply cannot appreciate the great professional talent she has and the true gamut she can span when allowed to do so.Of course, she already revealed herself as a very skillful comedian in "Galaxy Quest" (also co-starring with Alan Rickman), but here she hits the high note of her entire career, blasting all the crystals in the house.She portrays and reproduces an autistic woman in every detail.
The acting is excellent, both Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman are fantastic and show an able chemistry, and Carrie-Ann Moss is also very good.
But I found Snow Cake's formula to have; wonderfully developed and believable characters, who where skillfully filmed with purpose and thought, placed within an intelligent and emotional script, all of which moved a deeper theme forward.
Not just Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver but also really surprisingly enough Carrie-Anne Moss is excellent in the movie.
Rickman as Alex, Weaver as Linda, and Hampshire as Vivienne are fantastic in their presentation of the characters.
Let's hope people don't stop there.This in mind, it's impossible to ignore the real inspiration of the story, as Pell's autistic son contributed to the character of Linda (Sigourney Weaver).
And the quality of actors and actresses drawn in by the script, with Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss who played the almost femme-fatale Maggie.
As we tackle the reality of Vivienne's premature death, it is hard to fight back a tear for the change it inspires in Alex who, for an initially withdrawn and quite man, has a huge emotional journey, from which he is clearly far from the character we initially meet.Boldly confronting the problems of autism in Sigourney Weaver's character Linda, the audience can't help but laugh at some of the interactions she has with Alex (Alan Rickman).
It is hard not to feel the presence of some guilt, as some of the humour is set in an almost mocking tone, but the true beauty of the film is that the laughter actually veers away from this and leaves us laughing as we warm to the characters involved.For a film with a strong plot, a good cast to support it and the star's fan bases in tow, the movie has not been done justice in the slightest in its distribution.
Last night I was very excited to attend the Stanford University screening of Snow Cake, the first in the states since it's debut at TriBeCa. It was an amazing movie, though the character of Linda was not exactly what I expected it was a brilliant performance by Weaver.
Guilt-ridden after a young woman hitching a ride with him dies in his car, a Brit visits and ends up befriending the woman's autistic mother in this Canadian drama starring Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver.
It has the virtue of being at least partially homegrown product, but it also has big stars Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver and Carrie-Anne Moss in it and is far more Hollywood/Awards-season ready than particularly weird or homespun.
Rickman, feeling both guilty and compelled to grieve in the mother's place, ends up sticking around for the funeral and strikes up a relationship with a local woman (Moss).Weaver is the big problem with the film, of course, not least of all because it is simply hard to accept one of our smartest actresses in the role.
The resolution of Rickman's issues are a little too neat, but he's excellent in the film, and I liked the early scenes between he and the hitchhiker enough that the appearance of Weaver's character wasn't quite enough to immediately kill all of the good will I had developed toward the film at that point.
Snow Cake is a story set in wintry Canada where Alex (Alan Rickman) encounters Linda (Sighourney Weaver) a live for the moment childish person with autism.
I think the director tried to make a big philosophical point of bringing out an importance of moments and reflections in ones life through interesting characters.Alan Rickman  an ex-convict  who has been convicted of murder and assaulting a cop; Sigourney Weaver  an autistic mother  whose only daughter is killed in a car accident involving Alan and the third character is Carrie  Ann Moss  a middle aged neighbor of Sigourney who loves having sex  this time with Alan; who has come to apologies to Sigourney about his involvement in the accident that killed her daughter.
A beautiful film with a truly impressive performance by Sigourney Weaver as an autistic woman that befriends traumatized Alan Rickman.Helmed by Walesian director Marc Evans, "Snow Cake" is set and shot in the Canadian province of Ontario.
sensitive and thoughtful film about a gentle ex-con (a sturdy but evenly tempered Alan Rickman) and his encounter with a high functioning woman with autism (Sigourney Weaver) in the Canadian suburbs.
In reviewing this movie, the first thing that has to be mentioned are the great performances from the two leads: Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.
Weaver was absolutely unbelievable as Linda Freeman, a woman suffering from autism who is confronted by her daughter's death in a car accident, while Rickman was almost as good (almost because he has a less demanding role) as Alex Hughes (the man who was driving the car in which Linda's daughter was killed.) After the accident, Alex takes it upon himself to visit Linda, and the movie basically follows the relationship the two develop.
The rest of the story happens in the ensuing week in Wawa, where Alex tries to help Vivienne's autistic mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) arrange the funeral.
An absolutely amazing film, I just saw it at SIFF.A great film, Alan Rickman does an amazing performance, and you actually believe Sigourney weaver is autistic, Carrie-Anne Moss is also good, and Emily Hampshire gives an extrodornary performance for such a small part, although it does set the tone for the film, In my opinion if the opportunity presents itself to see this film take it, it's absolutely stunning, and it makes you believe Marc Evans is the world's greatest director when really he's just starting out.Today most films, especially dramas, are easy to have predictable endings and character origins, but this one really surprised me, from the beginning of the film you hear that Alex "killed someone" this made me believe he didn't kill them and possibly an autistic man he lost his patience with, when in all actuality he accidentally killed the man who killed the son he never knew.
Alex feels immense guilt over the girl's death and goes to see her Mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver) to offer his condolences, at his arrival he notices that Linda is Mentally handicapped and suffers from severe Autism, and she manages to get Alex to stay with her to sort out the girl's funeral & put out the bins as she 'dosen't do garbage'This does sound very depressing, but It's actually funny & sad in equal measure, Weaver gives a career best performance as the Autistic Mother and is greatly believable, Rickman is very understated but also gives a wonderful performance as the driver who seeks some sort of redemption - despite the car accident not being his fault.Co-starring Carrie-anne Moss (The Matrix) as Maggie, Linda's oversexed neighbour who Alex begins a sexual relationship & Directed by Welshman Marc Evans, who includes songs by Welsh bands in the picture - this is a truly wonderful film that's well worth watching and nowhere near as depressing or PC as it sounds**** out of *****.
...thanks to a fine script by newcomer Angela Pell and adept direction from Brit Marc "I'm not a household name" Evans that delineates the personal healing of a wounded soul (superbly played by Alan "Die Hard" Rickman) when he meets the autistic mother (Sigourney "you ought to know by now" Weaver) of a young woman who has died in his company (the very winning Emily "Ruby Gloom" Hampshire), as well as a concerned neighbor (Carrie-Anne "Fido" Moss) who proves more nurturing than one might otherwise expect.
carry ann moss' character was unfortunately meaningless, only good for alex' development (and one of the funniest scenes in the movie) - not her fault.
And I would agree that the single most compelling aspect of the film is the multi-layered character that Weaver plays: 'Linda', a fully functioning adult autistic woman.
One of the most enjoyable moments in the film is when she plays scrabble with Alex, using only made-up words.Vivienne, Linda's daughter, is also another fascinating character who we only meet briefly at the beginning of the film as she's soon killed in the accident.
From director Marc Evans (My Little Eye), this mix of both comedic and tragic moments is a very good look at Autism, almost as effective as Rain Man. Basically Alex Hughes (Alan Rickman) is a recently released (for murder) man travelling to Winnipeg to see an old friend, and along the way he gives the annoying, but vivacious Vivienne Freeman (Emily Hampshire).
After a difficult meeting with the mother Linda (Sigourney Weaver), he afterwards talks to neighbour Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who explains to him that she has autism.
Snow Cake is directed by Marc Evans, written by Angela Pell and stars Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Carrie-Anne Moss.Alex(Alan Rickman) is driving and at a roadside diner allows a young woman called Vivienne(Emily Hampshire) to hitch a lift with him.
She is going home to see her Autistic mother Linda(Sigourney Weaver).Tragically during the journey they are involved in a car crash and Vivienne is killed.Alex goes to see her mother to explain and be with her but finds himself completely caught up in how she sees the world and the people in it.Sigourney Weaver gives such a powerful performance as the mother who has just lost her daughter but struggles to understand what that actually means.
He befriends a neighbour of Linda's called Maggie(Carrie- Anne Moss), she offers him the comfort he needs so desperately.This is also a good film to watch especially if your interested in autism, Sigourney has obviously done a tremendous amount of research and it shows.
The translation of an autistic woman completely transformed my view of Sigourney Weaver and I completely was drawn into her as Linda Alex was just as great in his role as an emotionally walled man who probably wanted nothing but to be left alone cut off from all human contact Somehow the two came together perfectly portrayed There is so much to laugh at too, many small details in the tragic situation that is so much like real life.
In something of a masterstroke the writer, director, kill off the most colorful character - up to that point - Emily Hampshire's Vivienne, inside half an hour having first skilfully built up an off-beat relationship between this minor kook and Alan Rickman's withdrawn Alex that could, I feel, have sustained a film by itself.
Alan Rickman is superb as Alex, and Sigourney Weaver shines as Linda.
I must admit though that some scenes with Sigourney Weaver were good, but then again, I have only met one autistic person in my life.In overall, I've rated this movie with a 6 because it is entertaining to watch and you really want to see what happens at the end.
Alan Rickman was horribly out of place but the only person in the whole movie worth watching - Sigourney Weaver was downright irritating and far from portraying a high-functioning individual was barely functioning at all - she did autism no favours if encouraging acceptance of autistic people was supposed to be the point of the film.
And now there is this movie, which is an equally interesting character study.Alan Rickman plays a troubled Englishman travelling through Mid-West America who picks up a lively young hitch-hiker Vivienne (Emily Hampshire) before he's involved in a car accident that spares his life but kills her.
Emily Hampshire is excellent in the brief role of the doomed daughter, and Carrie-Ann Moss gives Rickman a convincing romantic foil as the neighbour who lives next door.I panicked when I heard that Sigourney Weaver was playing an autistic person.
Went full retard, went home empty handed." - Kirk Lazarus"Snow Cake" stars Sigourney Weaver as an autistic woman living in small town Canada.