Snow Cake

Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver form the quintessential indie-film odd couple in this intimately observed drama that detours from the usual high-concept, special effects-laden studio fare. Rickman is in his element as Alex, a morose, laconic ex-con just released from prison. A tragic twist of fate brings Alex to a Canadian small town, where he lands on the doorstep of Linda (Weaver in a fiercely committed, vanity-free performance), a functional autistic woman with a decidedly antisocial personality. "I don't like normal people," Linda states, and neither does filmmaker Marc Evan's Snow Cake, which is clearly about outcasts and misfits, including Vivienne (Emily Hampshire), Linda's vivacious, hitchhiking daughter, who bums a ride with Alex because he looks lonely ("lonely people have the best stories," she observes) and Linda's neighbor Maggie (Carrie-Ann Moss), a nurturing type who is very quick to take damaged soul Alex into her bed. This is a palpably heartfelt project (screenwriter Angela Pell has an autistic daughter) that—unfortunate title notwithstanding—mostly manages to avoid being either cloying or manipulative. The smiling faces pictured on the DVD cover suggest an upbeat romantic comedy, but Snow Cake is definitely a slice of something more filling. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include 10 deleted scenes (18 min.) and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for a solid film.] (D. Liebenson)