The Snowman

Poor in terms of story, in terms of form – brilliant. Paradoxically, everybody was worried about all sorts of things, just not a faulty story, especially when it’s filmed according to the Norwegian crime-writer king, Jo Nesba. Alfredson’s realistic approach with wonderful, long shots of seriously snowy landscape warms the heart. The same applies to modern investigation techniques, which aren’t given much room in this movie, because when something starts happening that might be of interest, it cuts to another place – the screenplay diverges from the book. That’s where the problem lies. Fassbender is excellent – a guy a bit off the rails, but still in form, but on the point of giving everything up – is a perfect Hole. On the other, the second most famous name on the poster, Kilmer, comes across as almost charming. Otherwise, the cast is a delight, although they don’t get the chance to show they stuff on screen, which is another reason why lots of scenes seem just to fizzle out. A movie full of contradiction which most likely won’t lead to a series. (15/10/2017)

The adaptation of Jo Nesbø's The Snowman definitely had more potential. I haven't read the book, but it was certainly more interesting than this bland detective story with mediocre visuals and a bored Michael Fassbender. These cold Nordic serial killer thrillers are usually top notch, here the Americans must have interfered a lot in the film, otherwise I can't really explain the failure. The murders are almost non-existent, so forget about the blood, the atmosphere is not very good and the only thing that surprises is the identity of the killer, which I didn't figure out. It is watchable, but the film lacks any WOW effect, which is a shame. The best scene from the trailer doesn’t even appear in the film. 55% (14/12/2017)

The chilling and bleak atmosphere is worth a million, Michael Fassbender is spot on (it only takes a moment to grasp where his Harry is – namely, at rock bottom), an interesting case, a very clever script, and Alfredson's exceptional direction. As in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the viewer is directly pushed to pay attention to details, to notice dialogue, to be constantly on alert... but there’s an important difference:in The Snowman, such attention does not reward you whatsoever in the end; on the contrary, it is meant to distract you with false clues, confuse you, and catch you out. And it succeeds, I have to say, to a tee. It's up to you to decide how much you want to blame the filmmakers. I thoroughly enjoyed the story (of which I haven't read the source material). ____ P.S. Marc Beltrami's soundtrack is definitely worth a separate listen. (30/07/2019)

I have not read the book, so I can only judge The Snowman in its film form, and I must say right away that I only hope the novel is better than its adaptation. The film has a pretty decent run-up, and the setting of the snowy north almost always adds some extra plus points, as do the complex crimes going into the past. The film even features a very decent cast. What I couldn't get past, however, was the completely unconvincing, even incomprehensible, motivation of the perpetrator for his actions. The final nail in the coffin, however, was the incredibly disconnected ending. I was expecting a chilling and raw thriller with a decently constructed plot, and I was obviously disappointed after watching it. (28/03/2020)

The book The Snowman marked a certain turning point, during which the series began to be uncomfortably suggestive and the murderous scenes became so precise and terrifying that one would look over their shoulder at home, wondering if something bad was waiting for them in the corner. At the same time, it was the most cinematic installment of the series so far, offering a great thriller. However, my fear that the main guide to Oslo in winter could fail in motion picture format was confirmed. Harry Hole, the hero of my favorite crime series, has already experienced, endured, and drunk quite a lot at this point in his life and career. His depressive substrate is soaked with losses and dismal periods in both adulthood and childhood. The film presents us with Harry, who is just a drinker, and it is not clear whether it is due to his breakup or simply because he does not currently have anything to dig into at work. Both reasons seem quite trivial, so it is good that the first snow comes and with it the murders that everyone who has heard of Jon Nesbø's books eagerly awaits. This sets the stage for the investigation carousel, which nonetheless seems almost ridiculous. The main characters ask a few questions, spend a lot of time examining the background of the Winter Games in Norway, and try to unravel the past of several anonymously acting characters. The problem is that the suggestiveness has disappeared from the adaptation. Murders either happen off-screen or are completely uninteresting. The present and past storylines do not intersect in the end; on the contrary (and this is a criticism I cannot forgive), the trio of screenwriters decides to openly deviate from the original, turning a crucial subplot into a dragging dead end. Moreover, I still remember how while reading, I thought I had the identity of the killer clear, but the author surprised me every time and played out the plot so far that three different characters could have been the culprit, and the twist in each case seemed similarly unquestionable. However, the film shoots down both incorrect theories and prematurely labels them as false, confusing the viewer perfectly and making some of the false clues almost insulting in retrospect. At this point, my initial disappointment is not far from anger, and I only give it a second star out of mercy because Charlotte Gainsbourg seems to have stepped out of my imagination as "my" Rachel, and because of the sad realization that in different hands, Michael Fassbender could truly be the perfect Harry. Nonetheless, I pray that the escalation towards an even more intense The Leopard hinted at in the finale does not come to pass. (23/10/2017)