First Snow

Promoted as a suspense-filled thriller about a man chased by atrocious fate, “First Snow” never musters enough strength to hold an audience’s attention. In his directorial debut, Mark Fergus—who was nominated for a screenwriting Oscar for “Children of Men”—fails to enliven his own elementary script, and the film suffers from a lack of momentum.

Written by Fergus and Hawk Ostby, “First Snow” follows flooring salesman Jimmy Starks (Guy Pearce, “Memento”) as he feverishly attempts to avert his own imminent demise, predicted by a roadside fortune-teller. But while Starks’s life unravels as he falls prey to intense paranoia, “First Snow” loses focus and is unable to create the suspense needed to excite moviegoers.

While Pearce entertains as a fast-talking salesman who believes that he is about to make his big break, his portrayal of Starks lacks depth and is utterly unconvincing. There is always a distance that keeps the audience from connecting with Starks.

Pearce never shows why his character is so ready to believe the fortune-teller, nor does he sufficiently demonstrate Starks’ motivation for suddenly deciding to seek out his terrible fate.

Many of Pearce’s shortcomings are thanks to Fergus’ script, which expects the audience to make far-fetched connections and bestow unearned significance to directionless scenes.

For example, Starks’s near-breakdown—in which the character locks himself in a motel room for days with a loaded gun—is painfully rushed. Unfinished and unmoving, the pivotal sequence hardly illuminates Starks’ motivation or advances the narrative.

The strongest aspect of “First Snow” is the cast of supporting characters that surround Starks. Starks’ co-workers and acquaintances provide much-needed comic relief. William Fitchtner and Rick Gonzalez, playing two of Starks’ fellow salesmen, brighten their scenes by lightening the mood with dry humor, lampooning the mundane life of a traveling salesman. Starks’s interactions with the two, particularly in bars, create a vivid portrait of his life before the fortune-teller. But limited by the mediocre script and plot, their significant contributions cannot rescue the film.

Technically, “First Snow” boasts some shining moments but never achieves originality. Cinematography by Eric Alan Edwards lends an eerie and surreal sense to the film by incorporating images of the sparse New Mexico desert in various states of gloom.

While interesting as a stand-alone project, the music by Cliff Martinez clashes with the content of the film. Classical and refined, the score falls short of creating the tense mood that is clearly intended.

As both director and screenwriter, Fergus controls several key components of his film, but he squanders his opportunity on a grandiose vision that never materializes. Parts of the film left open to interpretation are hopelessly unclear and cannot convey the gravity of Starks’ personal conflict and psychological devolution. “First Snow” fails because it never brings together the elements needed to convey its complex message.