LWLies 96: The Glass Onion issue Out now! By creating an account, you agree to the Just click the "Edit page" button at the bottom of the page or learn more in the Synopsis submission guide. Katya is played by Rebecca Ferguson and played very well, her chemistry with Alex (played by Sam Reid) has potential, but you never really understand how she feels about him or what his reasons are for wanting her. Hes supposed to be the films romantic hero, but he is, in fact, a Soviet bureaucrat of such mealy sweet ineffectuality that his title is senior assistant to the third deputy minister of foreign affairs. (He would probably think that Despite the Falling Snow is a good title.). Cinemark Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA: Season 1, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, Link to 10 WTF Horror Movies to Watch if You Loved. For into his life come two women one who will start to open up the heart he has protected for so long; another who is determined to uncover the truth about what really happened to Katya all those years ago. Despite the falling snow - high res. I'm a big believer in treating every film the same, and bringing something new to the film theory table, giving reasons for every argument made. We wont be able to verify your ticket today, but its great to know for the future. The film is based on her book of the same name and plays out over two time periods. Their relationship, in fact,is treated quite superficially. Russia, as a subject, has been coming up in the world of entertainment (it started with the launch of The Americans on FX four years ago), and one could now easily envision Russia becoming a vast new landscape of 21st-century dramatic interface. Synopsis One part of the story is set in 1950s Moscow, Russia during the Cold War years, while the other follows the story of 1992 Moscow and London in the period after the collapse of USSR. When she begins spying on Alexander, an idealistic Communist politician, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with him. I think Rebecca Ferguson tries hard but the chemistry between herAntje Traue is non-existent and Trauejust seems uncomfortable with the whole thing. The acting is very good as is the direction. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. The film is set in the post-Stalinist Soviet Union. Respectably put together but inert, the basic-cable-ready picture has slim theatrical prospects but may attract some attention thanks to current Russophobia. Also, her parents died but we dont know how or when, or how exactly she ended up in Alexs care. Why its high time we started appreciating the art of 3D cinema, 101 films to look forward to in 2023 part two. We know from the films opening that Alex defected while in New York, hoping that Katya would join him. A stolidly old-fashioned, rather bafflingly preposterous spy-tale-slash-love-story is what this creaky film offers, directed by Sharim Sharif and adapted by the director from her own 2004 novel. 10)", "A tale of intrigue haunts with its sorrow", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Despite_the_Falling_Snow&oldid=1106244885, This page was last edited on 23 August 2022, at 20:22. For 40 years, he has buried the tragic memories surrounding his charismatic late wife, Katyaor so he believes. Despite the Falling Snow is a phrasethat barely sticks in the mindfor the time it takes to read it; given that the movie wantsto be a Cold War romantic espionage thriller, you can imagine a hundred titles that would bemore alluring. In Moscow in 1959, Katya pursues rising Soviet politician Alexander (Sam Reid) at the encouragement of their friend Misha (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) so that she can share his secrets with the Americans. Despite The Falling Snow is a film by novelist and filmmaker Shamim Sharif. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. It stars Rebecca Ferguson in both roles, as Katya and Lauren. But she makesKatya agravely sensual figure, with shades of Genevive Bujold or Emily Watson,lost in the dream-killing melancholy of the old Soviet Union. Yet heres one case where the tone deaf-ness is far from incidental. When she begins spying on Alexander, an idealistic Communist politician, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with him. In one particular case, Katya puts her foot down and tells Misha shes not going to follow his instructions. Hes an uncomplicated functionary in the Kremlins foreign-affairs department; she, unbeknownst to him, is a spy selling secrets to the U.S. A Cold War romantic espionage thriller, rooted in the suddenly sexy subject of Russia, keeps tripping over its own ineptitude. You'll receive your first newsletter next Saturday. Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Jurassic Park Movies Ranked By Tomatometer, Golden Tomato Awards: Best Movies & TV of 2022, 10 WTF Horror Movies to Watch if You Loved M3GAN. In one of a number of bad directorial choices, Ferguson inexplicably appears as both the heroine, spy Katya, and her niece, Lauren. Read Next: Animation Directors Use Cutting-Edge Tech to Amplify Emotion. [2] The Boston Globe also praised the novel, citing the character of Katya as a highlight.[3]. Despite the Falling Snow is an absorbing tale of family, the Cold War, and mostly true love. Its an image that is somehow less crisp and clipped than the film its in, which is perhaps the main reason that she and the artwork are all that linger from this segmented and suspenseless romance. With political tensions simmering, the snowy streets portraying life in 50s Soviet Union feel like a fitting allegory for the icy standoff between the two powerhouse countries. ; ; ; despite the falling snow ending explained Katya is young, beautiful and a spy for the Americans. Sasha (Sam Reid). Her Lauren is less impressive, due to her affected American accent and being a generally less interesting character, but her performances generate some much needed heat here. As the final credits roll, that overarching theme about photos being timeless rings true. Displaying promises of a polished melodrama, the archetypal romance between between Katya and Alexandre (on which the plot largely feeds) is more mawkish than emotionally charged. But as becomes abundantly clear, much of what matters to the plot takes place in the flashbacks and theres a binary feeling to the way in which the film segues between time-frames, with much clunking thematic resonance. She is now a spy working for the Americans, and the cell she belongs to has targeted Alexander Ivanov, a.k.a. Casting directors: Kelly Valentine Hendry, Victor Jenkins, Lina Todd, Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. | Not that any of us would have known this. But Despite the Falling Snow, which is at once overreaching and threadbare, busy and tedious, is like a hastily scrawled sketch for the movies to come. Seriously, anything! Katyas mission, however, becomes muddled when would you believe she falls in love with him. Known for earlier films and novels that focus on lesbian relationships, Sarif squeezes a brief one in here: a present-day fling between Lauren and Marina (Antje Traue), a journalist who pretends to be a fan of Laurens art but actually shares an interest in Alex and Katyas story. Privacy Policy If the movie had been called Casablanca or Notorious, its still doubtful that a lot ofpeople would want to see it. Coming Soon. Edward Snowden and Pussy Riot. "Despite the Falling Snow contains all the ingredients of a good thriller: intrigue, suspense, and romance." The Boston Globe 'Quite literally, breathtaking' The Good Book Guide "Novel of the year" Stevie Davies, The Independent "Sarif's thrilling new novel makes me think of the 'The English Patient' and 'The French . Thecharacters have a depth and a warmth to them which although isnt completely engaging does at least make you interested in their ultimate fates. Even at 93 minutes, Despite The Falling Snow feels less like an adaptation than a mood reel for the source material, giving a prcis of the story rather than a whole experience. Rebecca Ferguson appears on screen in the Cold War romantic spy drama clad in lush period costume. Furthermore, bad production choices just make some of the film no better than a TV movie, and one from the 90s at that. Charles Dance If nothing else, Despite The Falling Snow proves what we already knew about Ferguson from Rogue Nation shes a bona fide movie star. As Lauren, shes perky and liberated and slightly bratty, especially when she comes on to a high-ranking Russian journalist (Antje Traue). Despite the Falling Snow is a 2004 book by Shamim Sarif. 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Ferguson, in a short blondish wig, plays the niece, too, a gambit that seems like it should mean something but doesnt. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast Read critic reviews. The main draw of Despite The Falling Snow is a dual performance by Rebecca Ferguson, who shot this in between her Emmy-nominated work on The White Queen and her memorable breakthrough role in. Thematically, Despite the Falling Snow could be summed up as an exploration of the way in which the inhuman brutality of Stalinism wreaks its deep emotional damage decade after decade, generation on generation, even following its victims halfway round the globe. . Despite the Falling Snow is a 2016 British Cold War espionage film directed by Shamim Sarif, adapted from her novel of the same name. The twin scandals of fake news and the election hacking. Youll be playing the guessing game on where its going, and who is who. In 1950s Moscow, communist Katya secretly spies for the Americans in the Cold War arms race. After an early career amongst the political elite of Cold War Russia, Alexander Ivanov has built a successful business in the States. In Cold War Moscow, a female spy steals secrets from an idealistic politician - and falls in love with him. As writer and director, Shamim Sarif brings her own racy, Sheldon-esque espionage romance to the big screen, and she sticks to the above formula. Theone truly heinous part of the past is the special effects used while the characters walk alongside the Moskva river (see below). Up to three inches of snow could fall in less than four hours. Despite the Falling Snow is a 2004 book by Shamim Sarif. Alan Rickmans final screen outing is a textbook exercise in bringing modern warfare to the big screen. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Her choice between love and duty leads to a nail-biting conclusion that Alexander can only unravel decades later in Boston. It features laborious acting and directing, and a screenplay whose revelations are uninteresting, even were they not guessable long in advance. Promotion for this film has been almost invisible to even the most seasoned cinema goer, and most of what I discovered about it I had to search for on the internet. Fast-forward to New York in 1991, and an older Alexander (Charles Dance) laments his wifes disappearance 30 years earlier, while Lauren tries to discover what happened to her aunt. Half the film follows Katya and Sashas courtship in Moscow in 1960 and 61, culminating in the fateful moment when Sasha defects to the United States, leaving Katya tragically behind. 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