Snow Cake

Alex has come from England to Canada; he is just out of prison and going to see a man. On the road he picks up a talkative young woman called Vivienne. A truck hits them and she is killed. Alex goes to her mother's house to break the news. Linda is autistic; she reacts to the news unexpectedly and asks him to stay until the funeral, because it is not clear who will put the rubbish out. Marc Evans directs. Sigourney Weaver plays Linda, Alan Rickman plays Alex and Carrie-Anne Moss plays the neighbour Maggie. Where the film is careful is in not using autism as a lesson. Linda heals nobody and is not a source of wisdom; she has her own rules, does not want a guest, and is under no obligation to like Alex. The subject is guilt. Why Alex was in prison is disclosed late and takes on meaning alongside the girl's death. Snow is the visual motif; Linda's liking for eating it gives the film its title. It opened the 2006 Berlin film festival. The weakness is the romantic line; the relationship between Alex and the neighbour adds nothing. Who it is for: viewers who like quiet character drama and Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver. Who it is not for: little happens, the pace is slow, and some scenes overload the emotion.