Leofwine_draca FIRST SNOW is a relatively low budget vehicle for star Guy Pearce, attempting to plough the same sort of furrow as his superlative MEMENTO. The simplistic storyline sees the star given news of his impending death by a trailer-park psychic, at which point his life begins to unravel as he attempts to do all he can to avert impending disaster.The story in this one is straightforward enough, but it's more of a mood piece than anything. The small town photography is excellent and there's a cast of eccentrics and seasoned professionals who help to bring the story to life; Shea Wigham, William Fichtner, and J.K. Simmons are the stand-outs here. Pearce is excellent, as he always has been, and the director builds a genuine sense of foreboding as the narrative heads for its inevitable conclusion. My only real fault is that the twist ending is way, way too obvious.

jfgibson73 From the look of the reviews here on IMDb, this movie obviously has its fans. I really didn't care for it at all, and I have been trying to think why some people find it so well done, and some find it completely boring. It is definitely well filmed. It looks good and establishes a consistent tone. So fans of indie drama will recognize some of what they like about those kinds of films. The flip side is that because the movie takes the time to show the little details and develop a mood, there will be those who find it too slow. I think the subject matter is also one of things that divides people about this movie. In the story, the main character meets a quirky mystic who predicts he will die soon. So you get some themes of fate and destiny, along with a little mysticism. Personally, I didn't find any of that interesting. I also thought that there wasn't much story to it: once he finds out he may die soon, it becomes a character study. Except nothing really memorable or interesting happens. I like Guy Pearce a lot, and I thought he did a good job with who the character was at the beginning. I would actually like to see Guy get to play another character like this, because I think he could really let loose with a slimy, self centered, Daniel Cleaver type of role. But it just felt like it didn't go anywhere. SPOILER: at the end of the movie, Guy's character avoids the death that we think is coming, and drives off. We are then told he died in a car accident off screen. So some viewers are sure to see that as a cheat. I liked Piper Perabo, but she didn't really get more than a couple minutes screen time. I really disliked the guy who played the fortune teller. I thought he was the worst thing about this movie. For me, he was just really goofy, and it makes it even more annoying that so many reviewers praise his hokey act as Oscar worthy. So, to sum up, it was nice to look at, but I only give it a four.

merklekranz "First Snow" has an intriguing beginning. A traveling salesman has his fortune told by an old man, who's predictions turn out to be amazingly correct. From this point on the movie plays out like a bloated "Twilight Zone" episode. I mean nothing but car trips, phone calls and paranoia. William Fichtner gives his usual interesting performance, but Guy Pierce is anything but a sympathetic character, disregarding other people's well being for the sake of his own paranoia. The ending is especially weak, with absolutely no payoff for the long suffering audience. Do yourself a big favor and avoid this one. Not recommended. - MERK

lastliberal Is it destiny or did you make it happen? Are you going to die regardless of what you do to avoid it, or do you make decisions that result in your death? This neo noir with Guy Pearce (Momento, The Proposition, L.A. Confidential) was well written and exciting from start to finish.Pearce made a perfect sleazy salesman and Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) has shown she can do a good dramatic role. I thought she was really good.The story keeps you guessing until the very end. Did things happen because they were destined to happen, or did he choose to be in that place in that time.