The Snowman (2017)

	Also Known As: Schneeman
	Year of first release: 2017
	Director: Tomas Alfredson
	Actors: Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Jonas Karlsson, Chloë Sevigny, Val Kilmer, Charlotte Gainsbourg, J.K. Simmons
	Country: USA, GB, S
	Genre: Thriller
	Conditions of visioning: 16.10.2017, Schauburg, Sneak Preview, English version with German subtitle
Synopsis: Harry Hole (Fassbender) leads an crime investigation team on the disappearance of women on snowy days during the Norvegian winter in Oslo. He fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit Katrine Bratt (Ferguson), he connects decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one.
Review: After the first scene it is clear that the murderer is the kid who built snowmen in the countryside. The game of the movie is to recognise him from all the orphans we see in the story. I like the characters a lot. Harry Hole as sleepless policeman sleeping in any place outside over night, Katrine as lonely investigator with resolute look and sneaking everywhere.  The atmosphere that seems to be created by the story, the suspiscion of all men who have something to hide, the magnat Arve Stop, the doctor Idar Vetlesen, the husband of the disappeared woman. At some point, it looks like a scene à la The girl with a dragon tattoo will come to enhance the melodramatic Scandinavian society. The colours very grey bring a bit as well. But not all the time. Several scenes are different, with colours and it is not clear to me for which reason on the story. Some scenes do not bring actually anything to the main story nor to the atmosphere and could have been saved. The last scene is very stupid. SPOILER A meticulous murderer fall into the water of an iced lake while having a gun and being close to the wounded Harry Hole. Who believes that! It is so unrealistic. And some more time could have been given for the development of the characters. The actors could not develops much their play and are quite reduced. Some pictures of the Oslo and of the Norvegian snowy landscapes are wonderful and beautifully taken, especially the trains going through the snow from Oslo to Bergen. It has nothing to do with the spectacular CGI of Snowpiercer and instead of spectacle shows natural and quiet beauty.
Rating: 3 /10