Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
Catangro
After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.
Derrick Gibbons
An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
carbuff
Very good dark comedy set in unpopulated portion of Germany (I believe) in winter, taking place mostly in a large empty hotel. The very stark winter works exceptionally well with the subject matter of this film, which is the story of how two bungling low-level German hit men spiral into a mess of trouble. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that the fairly original plot develops pretty slowly for most American tastes, although it had no problem keeping my attention, especially given its many unpredictable plot twists. If you have some patience and let the plot develop some momentum, I think you will find that the story becomes quite compelling. About the only major negative comment I can make about this film is that it is devoid of likable characters--if you truly need somebody to root for, there's nobody here, with the possible exception of the least stupid hit-man, who is the lead character, and who you are obviously supposed to find sympathetic (although I personally didn't find myself very invested in his fate either). Unlike after nearly every Hollywood blockbuster, I actually felt like I consumed something intellectually nutritious here, so, for that alone, it deserves a high rating.
will mccarthy
I saw 'Snowman's Land' at La Mostra Valencia film festival in 2010 and was struck by the black humour of the film, the atmospheric imagery, the quirky soundtrack and the tight plotting. Great acting by the anti-hero too! The film is mostly set in an mysterious and dangerous location (a forest in winter) hundreds of miles east of Germany. This isolated and haunted place creates an on-going tension, enhances the plot and emphasizes the struggle of the characters who have to use their wits to survive each day. A memorable, dark and entertaining film. I look forward to seeing more from this director in the future.Will McCarthy
Simon Sieverts
I was at the German premiere night and I love this film. Kaurismäki, Cohen Brothers, von Trier and Faith Akin all rolled into one. Great cast, but the scenes with Eva-Katrin Hermann, Thomas Wodianka and Jürgen Rißmann should be singled out for their blue touch paper comedic timing and dramatic control.Lensed by Ralf M. Mendle on Red, there's not a single duff shot in the film. The script is a delight and the direction is masterly. Thomasz Thomson helmed this low-budget cult pic: he will definitely be back with another in-your-eye script and a way bigger production budget. Watch this space.Disclaimer: I have no work or financial involvement in this film.
Red-Barracuda
Snowman's Land is about a couple of hit men who are sent to a remote snow-bound house to fulfil an unspecified mission. While there they accidentally kill a crime-lord's wife and shortly after this, things begin to spiral out of control.This German crime film is essentially character driven. There are a number of quirky personalities who populate the narrative. And some humour is certainly derived from the interactions between these people. Most of the strength of the film comes from this, as the storyline is basically quite weak. The plot-line is extremely loose, where things happen and twists in the story occur with very little overall purpose. The interaction between the femme fatale and the hit men, for example, has the potential to lead the story into interesting territory but it never unfortunately really happens. Instead, her accidental murder more or less becomes an irrelevance and the story moves on into a less interesting direction. Generally speaking, the focus of the movie is very much more on deriving humour rather than thrills from the crime story framework.Snowman's Land is by no means a poor film; it's just one that could have been so much more. While it is funny and inventive at times, it is also a bit too unfocused for its own good too. Worth checking out if you like quirky crime comedies though.