Smilla's Sense of Snow

A two-hour version of a better episode of The X-Files, supported by excellent acting and a tantalizing mystery. Smilla’s Sense of Snow is a slow, fragile film from which you shouldn’t expect much action, but you have to get in tune with its atmospheric vibe. (30/10/2002)

The book is an original and highly unconventional mix of genres (that ending, though), a sort of "lyrical-social eco-whodunit", while the film adaptation sticks to a mostly mysterious storyline like out of The X-Files, which is definitely not a bad thing. (22/05/2007)

Weak three stars basically only for highly above-average cast, location, when shots of Nordic landscapes, glaciers, and overall extraordinary environment naturally play a positive role, and ultimately for directing skill, when August is able to keep the viewer in suspense for a long time and evoke greater expectations than the cliché ending brings. I didn't know the original, so the revelation of this promising mysterious spectacle disappointed me a lot. The last 15 minutes of the film simply sink it. It needed more work on the script and avoid predictable scenes at the end, which seemed to come out of some movie parody. Overall impression: 50%. (17/10/2008)

I haven't read the book, but from the looks of the adaptation, I'd guess it's something along the lines of Dan Brown's (non-Langdon) stuff. Which is not a bad thing. The film looks good, and I was surprised by the likable cast led by a very cool Julia Ormond, but the moment the heroine boards a ship and sets off for Greenland, an interesting thriller with a solid atmosphere becomes a strangely dull parade of strange situations, culminating in a final explosion and (not shown) escape from an avalanche that would have been unbelievable even in a Bond film. Alas. A big bonus is the music by Gregson-Williams and Zimmer - I haven't heard it yet, but it strikes me as one of their best works ever. (04/11/2013)