Synopsis:
Hunting down the murderer of their families in an anarchic Berlin of the near future, the outlaws Tan and Javid find themselves trapped in the wicked fairytale of a mysterious screenplay that entangles them in a vicious circle of revenge – apparently all written by a clueless dentist.
Snowflake (originally Schneeflöckchen) is one of those few films where a review is not going to do much justice to the source material. Reviews work in words and thoughts, impressions and opinions. Snowflake cares very little about what you think or feel and instead bombards the senses with a full two hours non-stop action, dark comedy, bloodsoaked barbary and little else. I was hardpressed to believe that the film was in fact crowdfunded and shot on a limited budget, as that is in no way apparent throughout the film’s entirety. It’s pure entertainment; a masterpiece in its genre and an absolute must watch for any fan of extreme cinema.
The opening scene is very Pulp Fiction, with kebabs paying homage to the famous “royale” scene — dark, tongue-in-cheek humour setting a great tone for what is to come. The rest of the first act is an introduction to a cavalcade of characters with a healthy dash of magical realism. Google it. We meet our probable protagonists and angsty antagonists whilst being drawn into a story that is as much absurd as it is entertaining. Less than ten minutes into the film and you know it is going to be a good ride.
The plot is something akin to a revenge film with a Smoking Aces-esque menagerie of (even more) insane killers being hired by a duo of misfits to off another duo of misfits, with anything and everything going wrong in between. The film switches between German and English (and a little Polish), so if subtitles bug you, grow up and learn to read — watch some more foreign language films you lazy shit.
The film does a great job of muddying the waters when it comes to who to cheer for and support. The characters, mostly murdering madmen, are all quite likable and charismatic, from the cannibals to the androids to the superhero. Javid and Tan, the hunted pair, are obviously insanely evil and yet you can't help but cheer them on while they fight against fate. The hunters, Eliana and Carsten, struggle forward attempting to hire a ridiculous ensemble of assassins to take out the aforementioned allies, oblivious to the fact that all their actions are literally being scripted by a clueless dentist. It's an insane plot with action and attitude to match.
It's that very brazen attitude that makes the film as good as it is. The writer's use of magical realism, accepting fiction rather nonchalantly as fact, makes everything oh-so-entertaining and enchanting — there's a suspension of disbelief that you don't even realize has taken hold, and that is something really magical. There is no questioning why? and therefore no chance of a plot hole. It's just unbridled madness because. What could be more entertaining?
If there were any life-lessons to be taught or deeper themes to be understood, they were completely lost on me. The majority of the film is naught but wanton carnage meandering in and out of a clever plot wonderfully executed by our band of misfit executioners...and sometimes that's all you want at the end of a long week; excessive mayhem with a splash of the good ol' ultraviolence.
Overall, the humour is on point, the action excellent, the acting better than expected, and the story just keeps on giving in way you can't (and won't) predict. I'll definitely be keeping and eye out for directors Adolfo J. Kolmerer and William James in the future. Catch the trailer below and give the film a watch; you won't regret it — and as always, stay sordid.
