Black Snow (2017) Poster

(2017)

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6/10
This Argentina/Spain co-production results to be a complex and exciting thriller narrated by flashbacks
ma-cortes26 May 2017
Decent mystery thriller with plenty of twists , turns and a suspenseful finale . This is an acceptable flick about Marcos (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and his wife Laura (Laia Costa) go back to Argentina to bury the ashes of his father , there Marcos receives an important offer by a high-powered businessman called Sepia (Federico Luppi) . But Marcos has to convince his brother , the shy as well as grumpy Salvador (Ricardo Darin) , to sell the cottage and lands they share by inheritance from their recently deceased father . After several decades without watching , Salvador who was accused of murder his brother long time ago , is , nowadays , a revengeful and angry person . As the unsociable Salvador is an upsetting and depressed man who lives isolated at an inaccessible location in the middle of Patagonia . But events are about to get even worse when dark secrets return . Would you be able to keep a secret?

This ¨Black snow¨ contains complex mysteries , emotional thrills , suspense and a depressing finale . Hitchcock style psychological mystery , being passable and professional but hardly directed . This is a highly mysterious and cerebral thriller , filled with plot twists , including an unexpected denouement in its final part . As there takes place the ruthless as well as violent crossing among siblings and in which being revived the the old confrontation where the characters of killer and victim are changed over and over again . The original as well entertaining premise is overspread across the movie adding some brief conventional pitfalls . However , the picture turns out to be slow-moving and sometimes tiring , including a difficult pacing , though at its ending finale it gets better , at last . The cast is frankly good , such as Leonardo Sbaraglia as the astute brother who comes to convince to sell the lands that they share by inheritance . Top-notch Ricardo Darin as the unbalanced , unhinged brother who lives alone in the middle of Patagonia and who still stands accused of murdering his brother during adolescence . And Laia Costa as his beautiful sister-in-law with whom has a particular relationship . Support cast is pretty nice such as : Federico Luppi as the selfish businessman , Biel Montoro as young Marcos , Liah O'Prey as young Sabrina and Mikel Iglesias as young Salvador . Special mention for Dolores Fonzi at a brief acting as the nutty Sabrina locked at a asylum .

The film was compellingly produced by a Spain/Argentina team as Axel Kuschevatzky , Fernando Riera , Manuel Monzón , Fernando Abadi , Adolfo Blanco , Maria Luisa Gutiérrez , Javier Beltramino , Pablo Bossi , all of them have financed a great number of hits in the new Spanish/Argentinean cinema . This increasingly potent thriller displays a colorful and luxurious cinematography by Arnau Valls Colomer . This fine cameraman photographs perfectly the cold environment , set in the middle of a lonely , snowy place , being filmed in Spain , Patagonia in Agentina and some frames were filmed in Andorra searching for real snow attempting to substitute the Patagonia . Furthermore , a stirring and thrilling score by Zacarias De La Riva . This new film by writer/director Martin Odara was compelling and professionally directed . Odara previously realized short movies , and worked as Second Unit Director or Assistant Director , such as : ¨The aura¨, ¨9 Reinas¨, ¨La Edad Del Sol¨ , ¨Secret of the Andes¨ , ¨Faro Del Sur¨ , ¨Caza De Eichmann¨, among others . Being this his second film , the first was : ¨La Señal¨ with Diego Peretti , Carlos Bardem and Ricardo Darin again . ¨Black Snow¨ is well worth watching and it packs several thrilling as well as suspenseful scenes .
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7/10
family drama done right
axapvov10 September 2018
I am aware the words "family drama" are not the most appealing in the world. Let´s face it, too many times they´re just... boring. I hate to use that word to put down films but in it´s often justified. Sometimes I run across films like this one and it´s such a nice feeling.

This is a great drama. It has an awesome use of flashbacks, a satisfying sense of place and pace, the plot unfolds patiently, not dreadfully, it renews the trite characterization of Ricardo Darín and puts the beautiful presence of Laia Costa to good use. It has mystery, surprises and just the right amount of social background. It´s a great film, totally recommended.
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7/10
I was expecting a lot more in a movie that count with the Sbaraglia/Darin combination, but the last 25 minutes save the movie.
bola_de_pu6 September 2017
Huge disappointment. I don't know if the director, producers and writers don't find the way to deliver the correct message or they don't know how to put the right pieces of the puzzle or even use the right flashbacks at the right time. I won't lie, I was expecting a huge movie in part because the producers have in these movie the pleasure of count with the two best argentine actors in the 21st century and in my opinion two of the best latinamerican actors that probably will never make the final step to Hollywood (sadly for us, hope I'm wrong) and they don't put a plot that exploit the skills of Sarabaglia/Darin. I can't complain about the setting/scenario. Excellent, and in part save the movie that cold/cruel environment along with the fog, mountains and the final 25 minutes of the movie. I recommend these movie to you only if you're a fan of Sbaraglia/Darin or if you like Argentinian films, otherwise you won't find anything useful in these movie.
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7/10
A big secret...
Thanos_Alfie13 March 2018
"Black Snow" is a thriller drama movie in which we watch a man who after was accused of killing his brother lives alone in Patagonia. Many years later his brother with his wife pays him a visit in order to convince him to sell the land he lives for all of his life in order for all the siblings to share their part from the inheritance of their father. Everything will change after that visit, from their relationship to the lives of everyone.

I liked this movie very much because it's a mystery thriller movie which has plenty of twists and turns that I believe makes this movie very interesting. In addition to this, I have to say that it's a highly mysterious and cerebral thriller, filled with plot twists that will keep you intense for the whole duration of the movie. I also liked the interpretations of Ricardo Darín who played as Salvador / Brother and he nailed his role for one more time, Leonardo Sbaraglia who played as Marcos / Brother and Laia Costa who played as Laura / Marcos's wife. The direction which was made by Martin Hodara was simply amazing and I believe his contribution it can be observed in the whole movie.

Finally, I believe that "Black Snow" is a very good movie and I strongly recommend for everyone to see it because I am sure that you are going to have a great time watching it and you are going to love it. Even if you have high hopes or high expectations for this movie I think that you won't be disappointed by it.
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7/10
Three superb performances
JuguAbraham20 September 2017
Another brilliant performance by Ricardo Darin. It is unfortunate that few know about him beyond Latin American film goers. He is so good in diverse roles!in each and every film!

Spanish actress Laia Costa swept us off our feet in "Victoria." Here she plays a more somber role.

Leonardo Sbaraglia teams up with Darin again after "Wild Tales" as the car driver who gets into a tragi-comic road rage entanglement. all great actors.

It's a film of superb performances. The story is secondary. The direction, tertiary.
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6/10
Perhaps something got lost in the translation
emuir-14 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is quite a depressing film, almost Scandinavian noir, but I found the constant flashbacks confusing, especially as I could not tell who was who and did not even realise they were flashbacks until later in the film. I much prefer a linear narrative where what happened in the past is shown in all one section at the beginning of the film. If flashbacks are to be used, it is better to have them in monochrome.

SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER *** SPOILER

The real problem I found with the film, and it may be due to translation, was that it did not explain why a crucial clue had been hidden away rather than destroyed. Who hid it and why not destroy it? Salvatore took the blame for his brother, but did Salvatore know that it was not an accident, or did he just feel unjustly judged by his father because he was first on the scene? I liked the ending where mousy Lauri showed that she had the upper hand without saying it, and the look on Marcos' face as realization set in. I would actually like to see a sequel of the future relationship of Marcos and Lauri. Game Set and Match.
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7/10
A Family Stinking with Dysfunction
ajrg-17-3816399 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This is a good movie, lyrical with strong performances everyone is not what they appear and the meek inherit the earth. It is slow at the start and as the movie goes on it draws you in so that as you find out the truth you are honestly a bit repulsed. It does what a classical mystery movie should do, it starts with the present and tells the past in bits and pieces that come together at the end. Some of it you can guess but some you cannot. It is set in the mountains in what is supposed to be the wilds of Patagonia. Most of this was filmed in an isolated cabin with the three main characters. No actors were frozen in the making of this movie which was filmed in Andorra in the mountains and for some scenes snow had to be imported. The end is somewhat subject to interpretation. What is clear is now that his pregnant wife who has more sense than anyone else will be running the show.
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4/10
They're Kidding, Right?
mcjensen-0592424 October 2020
First of all, you will need to get over the fact that the lead couple look more like father and son than husband and wife. No chemistry at all between them, but that's really not a huge hurdle because this is not a romance. The story held promise, but eventually it became clear the writers really had no idea how to progress the plot in a believable manner. You will roll your eyes, and you will be disappointed. One part was just so ridiculous I had to watch it several times to make sure it actually happened. All revolves around a dark family secret that came about because of another dark family secret. It really should have worked, and in more capable hands it would have.
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6/10
Slow boiling ... with some heat towards the end
kosmasp16 October 2017
Two very good Spanish actors who really carry this movie. And they don't even have really a lot to work with. Well it's not that the story itself isn't interesting. It has its moments, but there could be more and I do believe that most people will see where this is going, long before the ending shows us.

So Black Snow is a Drama, that really tests your patience, especially if you are used in tighter and fast paced story telling. In this case it's well done technically and as mentioned, the actors carry their load. But all that does not help elevate this movie to a place this could be. So you could say, some people are rightfully disappointed because of their expectations ... Otherwise just enjoy a little "mystery"
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1/10
Nice movie to sleep
paoloenryco17 July 2021
If you can't sleep, this movie is a good choice to help you with.
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8/10
Portrayal of human nature
ChandreyiDasSharma26 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I am a big Ricardo Darin fan and I waited for 4 months for the English Subtitles to be released till I could see this movie and boy was the wait worth it! Ricardo Darin's role is memorable although I wish it was longer.

Nieve Negra is a thriller movie that has portrayed the evils and greed of human nature in a very subtle manner. The complexities of family relationships is shown with ease in this movie. The ending of this movie really blew my mind.

**Spoilers ahead** I was expecting Laura to leave her husband after she found the note her husband gave his sister in the past. It was something which normally any woman would do after knowing the truth behind Juan's death. However the temptation of 11 million dollars was far greater for Laura than having any sense of morality or justice. The ending where Laura and Marcos established a convenient truth between themselves was the point of horror in this movie. My heart skipped a beat when I realized how dangerous people are when they hide the truth.

Must watch movie. Should be an 8 out of 10.
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3/10
Predictable or convoluted? Nah, just full of plot holes
jpcarballal5 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers at the end. I'll let you see them coming.

I was expecting a drama film with great actors doing what they do best, but quickly realized I was into some suspense thriller, so great! let's see how that turns out.

So I spent the next hour staring at the screen without blinking an eye. I love to pick the details in those murder mystery settings, and this just looked like one. But my brain starts to hurt. Pieces just don't fall into place, there's just more and more of them. Do they mean anything? Turns out, they don't.

Resorting extensively to flashbacks, you get pieces of the puzzle. But there's a trick. They may contradict and don't make sense at all. Some are memories, some are dreams, some are wild deductions made by a Sherlock Holmes level mind cleverly disguised behind a cute stupid look.

In between those flashbacks, you get some spacing sequences of predictable events: this is when those two fight, this is when those other two fight, this is when the key clue is revealed, this is when they get stuck, etc etc. It's frustrating. How come am I so good at seen those coming and so lame at picking the pieces of the overarching story???

I'll tell you why. In the end, those inconsistencies in continuity don't come out as masterful narrative, they are just plot holes and scenes squeezed in like as an afterthought.

This is not a movie, it's a low budget theater pilot of three and a half characters in a room, adorned with some wild scenery. A movie put out to be sold as a remake for the US market. Get a farm and some rednecks there and you are good to go.

**** SPOILERS ****

**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****

**** MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD ****

**** STOP. MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD ****

So we got this mother. She's got to have some weight in a setting like this, right? Wrong! For a time I thought she was the one shot in the accident. That messed things up. Turns out, she's just "gone", along with all her memories... for "reasons"...

Maybe it was that I saw the father beating up the eldest with a belt. Wasn't the youngest kid by the fire below? He must have done something else, and probably deserved it, right?

Anyways, hillbilly agrees to take his bro to the grave. Both go out in the truck, chat for 30 seconds, and then get back to the cabin in the afternoon thinking: what was that we were supposed to be doing?

So the land is worth 9 millions, or 11. Deal with it.

But since money is a subject here. Tell me. What do this people do for a living? Hunting and gathering? That's how you got you land, two houses, two SUVs, and raised 3 kids? Maybe the key is not having medical bills or sending kids to school. That could do it!

If you've managed to frame a faked crime scene as easily as you did, even with that zombie witness around, you definitely have some magic star shinning over you. Or is it that maybe you already got some experience under you belt? This could be the third time a family member vanishes without anyone asking.

But those are just details, my question is: you've grown up isolated, with an absent mother, in the hands of a violent father, having intercourse with your sister, killed your little brother cold-blood and let your other brother be framed for that. Alas, both your brothers are completely nuts. But you seemed to come out just fine. You are definitely less crazy than your wife and you lawyer, that make up for the rest of the world. So, how did you do that??? You know, even Nelson Mandela could learn a thing or two from you.

Maybe I'm missing something, right? Should I watch the movie again? Nah, and neither should you.
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1/10
They have wasted the talent of Ricardo Darín
Victor-8765519 October 2018
The worst Argentinean film interpreted by Ricardo Darín, one of our most talented actors in Argentina. I don't know where the "mysteries" are, I don't know what the director or the screenwriter was looking for. A waste of talent and time. Filmed with our money, which unfortunately wasted a real talent and our money.
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9/10
This movie throws reality on you and shows how awful the human nature can be
vitorhugomonteiro12 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
This movie throws reality on you and shows how awful the human nature can be. It has amazing scenarios, great actors (highlights for Darín) and a suspenseful story with some really good plot twists.

The film is about a man that goes back to the place where he used to live with his family when he was a kid to try and convince his brother (who still lives there) to sell his part of the land to a Canandian mining company and to bury the ashes of their father close to where their younger brother was buried; but family issues that happened when they were kids gets in their way and a lot of bad things are going to be brought back from their dark past.
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9/10
Excellent Dark and Broody Noir Mystery
steve-warsop27 January 2019
Black Snow smoulders with unspoken feelings and undiscovered plot. The lead characters ooze broodiness and secrets, as does the whole situation the characters find themselves in. If you like noir films then Nieva Negra is well worth exploring. There's fine acting from the three leading actors. Wear a hat and jumper though; the realism and suspension of disbelief will have you shivering in those snowy mountians.
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8/10
Intelligent, sad, excellent latin production...
RosanaBotafogo20 August 2021
Black snow, or red snow, would be more appropriate, from the beginning we are sure that the sinister happened, and it's not like it was resumed, avalanche, accidents (?!?! I don't think so), a wonderful production, great script, gradually unraveling the mystery, through flashbacks, leaving us curious, captivating, the truncated relationship between the brothers, until, finally, the outcome, predictable (maybe), tragic, cold (like the blizzard climate), intelligent, sad, excellent latin production...
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