IT’S often hard to judge if a movie will be any good or not, but one that has Martin Scorsese producing, and Michael Fassbender starring, is bound to be a safe bet, right?
‘The Snowman’ is based on a book by acclaimed Norwegian crime writer, Jo Nesbo, whose series of novels featuring ace detective Harry Hole, have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.
Fassbender takes on the lead role here, playing the troubled police officer whose latest case involves a woman disappearing, at the same time as an odd looking snowman appears outside her house.
When other mutilated bodies are found with the same snowy calling card, things begin hotting up in the icy surroundings.
This is clearly one of those ‘whodunit’ stories where the audience is encouraged to do the detective work along with the police and figure out who the killer is.
That’s fine as long as we are kept guessing, but it was kind of obvious too early who in fact “did it”, and it turns out ace detective Hole, isn’t as ace as he thinks he is.
Once scene in particular where the murderer is in Hole’s apartment and everyone except Hole knows it, is simply baffling.
Also baffling are the bizarre flashbacks featuring a heavily operated Val Kilmer, which has little if anything to do with the plot.
And speaking of the plot, Hole’s character is aptly named as the story has more holes than a Norwegian golf course.
Scorsese was initially earmarked to direct, and his reluctance to do so, points to his keen eye (or perhaps nose) for filmmaking. He obviously smelled something rotten.
The writers include Hossein Amini (‘Drive’) and the director is the man behind ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, so there is pedigree here.
It’s hard to know how or why this project went so far off the rails, but off the snowy rails it went, skidding and sliding out of control.
There may be something here for lovers of Scandinavian crime thrillers, but overall we score it an ice-cold, mind numbing, 2 out of 5 stars.
Paul O’Rourke