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Snowman's Land (2012)

Opened: 09/14/2012 Limited

Trailer: Click for trailer

Websites: Home

Genre: German Dark Comedy

Rated: Unrated

"A Teutonic mix of Tarantino and Jarmusch"

"A Teutonic mix of Tarantino and Jarmusch, 'Snowman's Land' provides considerable diversion with its deadpan take on befuddled urban hitmen assigned to a far-flung winter wonderland. Impressively handled sophomore feature by writer-helmer Thomasz Thomson"

Synopsis

In this wry German dark comedy, Walter (Juergen Rissmann) is a professional hitman who has just botched a job. Forced to leave the city, he reluctantly takes up an offer from eccentric crime boss Berger (Reiner Schoene) to protect his house (and young, pretty, free-spirited wife Sybille) in a remote region of the Carpathian Mountains. At Walter's side is Micky (Thomas Wodianka), his chatty, thrill-seeking old friend. After a freak accident, what seemed to be a nice, easy holiday job for the hapless pair soon becomes a comically nightmarish fight for survival. Stunning cinematography of the deceptively idyllic snowy landscapes and hardboiled, clever plot twists make SNOWMAN'S LAND an unmissable genre classic.

Chosen for the 20 Best of Fest Films at the Edinburgh Film Festival, SNOWMAN'S LAND has been presented at the following festivals: Filmfestival Max Ophuels Preis, Montreal World Film Festival, International Film Festival in Athens, Zurich Film Festival, and Arizona Underground Festival.

The Story

Walter is fed up with the world. He has just really messed up a job. Meaning, he shot one man too many. Walter is a hitman--not one of the classy Hollywood types, but tired, burned-out, and rusty, like his old Beretta. His employer Harry wants flashy circus horses in the stable instead of an old nag like Walter and advises him to take a break. Walter would like to, but lacks the necessary cash.

Walter's colleague Francois comes in as if on cue and offers him a job: the former underworld boss Berger -- who for years was thought to be dead but has instead been living under the radar far away in the East, isolated in the mountains -- is working on something big in his new home and needs help. "More vacation than work, just the thing for you," Francois promises, "fresh air, build a snowman, watch prancing deer." He would of course go himself, but as a father... someone has to bring the kids to school. So Walter agrees.

2,340 kilometers further east. Walter meets an old aquaintance in snow-filled no man's land: the sketchy and slightly instable Micky, also a hitman on his way to Berger -- but hitchhiking. Walter picks him up.

Berger's residence, a run-down former sanitorium, lies deep in the woods, snowed-in and unreachable with Walter's rickety car. The pair have to trek the last few kilometers, through a godforsaken area, without so much as a good map.

Once they finally arrive, they aren't exactly greeted with open arms. Berger himself is on a hunt and will not be back for a few days; his young wife Sibylle is alone in the house and not happy to see them. She makes it perfectly clear from the start that she isn't "the fucking maid," there to make them scrambled eggs. If they get hungry, they can help themselves. And kindly wash the dishes. And another thing: the kitchen and living room are ok; the rest of the house is taboo.

That evening Sibylle, dressed to kill, does a line of coke in the living room and races off into the dark night with her TransAm at full throttle. Walter and Micky are alone. They make use of the time to take a little tour of the house, including Berger's private chambers. In addition to several juicy vacation photos and an old pool, they find a real surprise in the basement: a professionally equipped drug kitchen.

Dawn breaks, Sibylle is not back yet, and Walter and Micky are feeling like they are on vacation. The fresh air, nature. They go sledding, Walter builds a little snowman, they relax in front of the TV.

That night Sibylle gets back. Drunk and tired, but more talkative than before. She tells them both about the Christmas party she threw for her best drug clients. Better yet: Christmas orgy, with the best food and the best girls, with colorful pills that Sibylle passed out to everyone beforehand. Micky, antsy from the story, grabs several of the pills and mixes them in Sibylle's and his own whisky glasses when no one is looking. Before Walter can grasp what is suddenly wrong with the two -- they are running through the house. Later, Micky and Sibylle have locked themselves in the pool room and want to get down to business. Walter can't stop them. Just as he can't stop Sibylle from waving Micky's gun around while flirting on a plastic deck chair. And then everything happens all at once: the deck chair collapses, a shot is fired, Berger's wife is floating dead in the pool, and Walter and Micky have a problem...