If Agatha Christie was Britain’s ‘Queen of Crime’, then
crime writer Jo Nesbo must be Norway’s ‘King’. Like Christie, Nesbo’s
novels have been enormously popular for their intricate plotting and puzzling
thrills. Everyone loves a whodunit with the guessing game adding to a
story’s fun. Adapted from one of his books, ‘The Snowman’ tries to
replicate the thrill-rides of Nesbo’s books. Although well cast, it’s a
murky thriller whose murderous pathways becomes more muddled with each frame.
Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is a lead detective from an
elite crime squad. Known for tackling challenging cases, his latest tests
his skills. Investigating a woman’s disappearance, he fears an old enemy
has resurfaced. Dubbed ‘The Snowman’, a killer who murders victims during
snowfall, the evil perpetrator remains elusive. Aided by new recruit
Katrine (Rebecca Ferguson), Harry races against the clock to capture the killer
before more people are dispatched.
‘The Snowman’ suffers from a clumsy narrative and terrible
editing. It almost feels like parts of the story are missing, making for
confusing viewing. Nesbo’s work thrives on its detail and imagination –
little of which is seen here. Blame could be placed on Tomas Alfredson’s
uninspired direction with his lacklustre attempts at generating atmosphere
continually falling flat. Most of the brickbats should go to a script poorly
choosing which plot points to use and discard, leaving a jumbled mess of a
movie.
The performances are fine although ‘The Snowman’ deserved
better. The story begins intriguingly but as the red herrings and clues
pile up, so do the inconsistencies. Scenes flicking back and forth to
past events only add to the general confusion with character’s motivations
remaining unclear. Whilst the stunning cinematography creates moody
atmosphere, the editing and voice dubbing for certain actors are simply
atrocious.
At parts inspired and others totally amateurish, ‘The
Snowman’ scrambles its way to a conclusion. It proves that adapting books
isn’t always successful with some stories perhaps best left between its
pages. Future Nesbo adaptations should take heed of ‘The Snowman’s
failures with the culprits of this celluloid whodunit easy to guess.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 5
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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