The Snowman melts before our eyes.

How difficult is it to make good – or even a simply decent – movie?  

The Snowman shows us.

Start with a production team of 13 professionals who between them have made scores of good and many great movies, including Martine Scorcese (and even though we are not sure how long he stayed attached to the project once he gave up his initial Directing role his name is still up there on the credits).     

Take a best selling Scandi-noir murder mystery and get a top notch screen writer/adaptor in, Peter Straughen, who adapted Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy,  The Debt and Wolf Hall, and wrote Frank.  

Shoot the film in Norway, surely one of the most photogenic locations on earth, with Dion Beebe behind the camera (Edge of Tomorrow, Collateral, Chicago, Into The Woods, Miami Vice etc) with a cast of first class actors in front of it, headed up by Michael Fassbender and supported by Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Toby Jones,  J. K. Simmons and Val Kilmer.  

Get Tomas Alfreson to direct it, following on from his brilliant ‘Let the Right One In’ and the accomplished ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.’    

And then ask Thelma Shoonmaker, doyen of editors,  to cut it.   

I list these collaborators because the success or failure of a film does not simply depend on the Director, but on all those with executive (by which I mean decision making) responsibilities, all of whom deserve to garner the praise or to shoulder the blame.      

Some times though, I guess a plan simply does not come together.    

So with all this talent on board we can see how hard it must be to make a good, or even decent film,  because The Snowman is not good.  It is not even decent.    

Alfreson has spoken with candor about the hurry in which the production was mounted and its ‘compressed production schedule’, the need for extensive reshoots afterwards and the 10 – 15% of the script that still never got on film.    

I think that the only elements that escape unscathed are the Norwegian landscape and the images of Dion Beebe, the cinematographer,  though it is hard to blame the cast.  They can only work off the script, and that doesn’t really work at all.   Their characters are too thin to relate to, or are abandoned.   Harry Hole is pretty much the standard film-noir cop, a drunk with a chaotic private life and a reputation for professional brilliance.     Fassbender is given no chance to show the man’s brilliance, and without his character is simply sad and boring.   There is just one short scene with a young girl whose mother has gone missing  where Hole briefly comes alive.   Rebecca Ferguson and Charlotte Gainsbourg do their considerable best – but again are underwritten.   Toby Jones is superfluous, J. K. Simmons is  under – even mis – used.  Val Kilmer’s appearance and sound are bizarre.   

The plot is confused and confusing.  Soren Sveistrup, who wrote most of The Killing, was brought in to doctor the script along with Hossein Amimi, who wrote 47 Ronin, but there are still few thrills.  

So unless you enjoy watching a badly made movie – and there are perverse joys to be found in doing so for some – please don’t bother with The Snowman.   Let it just melt away without staining the reputations of those involved.  Be kind.  And remember, when  a really good film comes along ,  and they do,   be grateful.  To mix my metaphors, even with so much talent on board the ship can still sink. 

Slowly but thoughtfully riding West.

 Silverado was one of the last Westerns I saw that took seriously the fact that 19^th century America  was full of immigrants.   I say seriously even though in that case it was the inclusion of  John Cleese’ terribly English sheriff that made the point.  Slow West is set shortly after the end of the Civil War and has more immigrants, ranging from French speaking Africans to Irish Silas (Michael Fassbender) and Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee),  a teenage Scots aristocrat in pursuit of his love, Rosy, (Caren Pistorious) who has fled with her father, both wanted for involvement in the death of Jay’s father.     Jay is equipped for his trek towards Colorado with nothing but determination and inappropriate baggage (I mean stuff in bags).    He is picked up by Silas, a gunman who is not quite as competent as he thinks, who becomes his guide.     But Silas has baggage too (of the other kind)  and a hidden agenda.    Payne (Ben Mendelsohn), a flamboyant bounty hunter,  is part of that baggage.      

The country through which they ride is actually New Zealand, but the Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan films it beautifully.    I last saw his work in Philumena.     I try to never forget that movies are all photographed, and the eye and brain behind the camera is crucial. 

Fassbender co-produced this movie, written and directed by John MacClean, and I can see why.    MacClean studied Art in Edinburgh and London before forming The Beta Band and then The Aliens and directing a number of their videos.   In 2009 he made a short movie with Fassbender,  Man On A Motorcycle, shot on a mobile phone, and then won a Bafta for another short, Pitch Black Heist, in 2011.   Here MacClean has taken a look at the familiar Western genre and despite the authentic and random violence that punctuates the movie it is a rather thoughtful and gentle look.   For sure this is a hard place to be and survival is tenuous for young immigrant  families trekking West, for American Natives hunted by white gunmen,  for anyone with a price on their heads and for an innocent teenager with few survival skills.  But humanity surfaces in unexpected places.    Jay’s heartful intention drives the plot,  and cynical Silas slowly responds the foolish, but brave and intelligent, young man.      

Smit-McPhee made the most of his roles in Let Me In and The Road,  and pairs well here with Fassbender.   They shot the film more or less in sequence, and you can see the two actors coming to terms with each other just as their characters do.    I do not remember the music, and that is a compliment.    Too many soundtracks intrude.    I recommend Slow West.