(Note: When in Denmark and Greenland, keep an eye out for seriously grumpy half-American, half-Greenlandic chicks…)
CAST: Julia Ormond, Gabriel Byrne, Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Clipper Miano, Tom Wilkinson, Robert Loggia, Emma Croft.
DIRECTOR: Bille August
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and decidedly unappealing Greenlandic vacations straight ahead…
Counting down to # 1, my top five favorite books of all time are:
# 5 - THE ENGLISH PATIENT by Michael Ondaatje
# 4 - THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt
# 3 - ALL THE LITTLE LIVE THINGS by Wallace Stegner
# 2 - AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by Agatha Christie
And my #1 favorite book of all time is…. (drum roll, please)
# 1 - CHIPPENDALE’S: THE NAKED TRUTH by Troy Kline.
Wait… what the fuck? Okay, sorry… I got a little mixed up. Vodka will do that to you. That one’s actually # 12. Ha, ha. Sorry. My bad. Nope, my true # 1 favorite book of all time is… (drum roll again, please - not fucking around this time…)
# 1 - SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW by Peter Hoeg.
“Smilla’s Sense of Snow” was a huge hit in author Hoeg’s native Denmark. It was just as big in the rest of the world, especially the United States where it reached the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List. Revolving around a sardonic yet soulful, half-Danish/half-Greenlandic, totally ballsy chick named Smilla Jaspersen, the book chronicles how she delves into the seemingly accidental death of a dear friend - a six-year old Greenlandic boy named Isaiah who allegedly fell off the roof of the Copenhagen tenement they live in.
Smilla smells bullshit, bigtime, and starts digging into the case. The deeper she gets, the more convinced she is that something totally hinky is going on. This, naturally, endangers her and forces her to go on-the-run while trying to further unravel the mystery. The trail of mystery leads to: (1) a mysterious corporation with deep pockets and an equally deep interest in a remote glacier in Greenland; (2) a mysterious neighbor who has a romantic and interest in her; and (3) a mysterious, uh, mystery concerning a strange medical condition that Isaiah had which (4) was being monitored by that mysterious corporation I mentioned before - right up until Isaiah’s death. How do all these disparate elements piece together?
When it was reported in the mid-90’s that “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” was being adapted for the silver screen, I was first overjoyed - then apprehension set in. After all, how many awesome books have been turned into movies over the past few decades - only to turn into serious klunkers? In fact, the phrase “It wasn’t as good as the book” is such a common expression now, I half expect it to end up being used as the name for a whole new genre of films: movies that don’t live up to the promise of the books that spawned them.
Does SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW live up to “Smilla’s Sense of Snow?” Well, that’s a discussion for BUT, SERIOUSLY portion of this review. For now, let’s break down the plot a little… Before we do, though, I know the keen-witted among you who have been paying attention have probably noticed I referred to Smilla Jaspersen as “Half-Danish/Half-Greenlandic” earlier. And you’re probably wondering that the hell a novel about someone who is Half-Danish/Half-Greenlandic could possibly have to do with our Americans Imperiled Overseas Week. Good question.
Evidently, in adapting the novel for the screen, Smilla has somehow been changed to “Half-American/Half-Greenlandic.” So there. Suck on that. Kidding. But not really. Anyhow, to further confuse things, Smilla in the movie has a British accent. Probably because British hottie Julia Ormond is playing her. Just play along. It’s easier that way.
At any rate, Smilla comes home one day to discover that her best pal, Isaish (Clipper Miano) has fallen off the roof of their apartment building. I should mention that Isaiah is all of six years old. If you’re wondering why a woman in her 30’s and a little boy are best friends, well, let’s just say it’s because Isaiah is Greenlandic and, as already established, Smilla is half of one. Oh, and Smilla is a grumpy, albeit hot, misanthrope who pretty much hates everyone else. Isaiah is basically her only real friend in the world, and with his death, well, let’s just say that shit’s about to go down in Copenhagen.
The cops, apparently being psychics, quickly deduce that Isaiah must have been playing on the roof then fell to his death by accident. To which Smilla basically responds, “Horseshit.” Her rationale? Only the following: (1) Isaiah’s footprints in the snow lead straight towards the edge of the roof, which is something no sane child would ever do; and (2) the footprints in the snow are indicative of someone running for his life. How can Smilla discern all of this just by looking at the footprints?
Glad you asked. Even though you may not be glad with the answer you’ll get. As Smilla explains to someone very religious later in the film, “The way you have a sense of God, I have a sense of snow.” And there’s your explanation for the title folks: when it comes to snow, Smilla is basically Yoda. By that logic, if I ever ran into Smilla I could actually tell her, “The way you have a sense of snow, I have a sense of Vodka. And Whipped Cream. And Edible Body Oil. And Chris Evans. And Natalie Portman. Andme. All mashed together.”
But I digress… so, smelling a rat (a big one), Smilla ignores the police verdict of “accidental death,” and dives headfirst into the mystery. With the aid of that mysterious neighbor called The Mechanic (Gabriel Byrne), Smilla basically turns into Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Cagney & Lacey, Christy Turlington, and James Bond - all rolled into one. Her snooping takes her right to the doorstep of a mining company called the Cryolite Corporation. Apparently, Cryolite has some operation going on an isolated Greenlandic glacier - which might be tied in to Isaiah’s past.
How is Isaiah - a mere 6-year old kid - tied in to a powerful mining corporation? What did Isaiah know - or what condition did he have - that made him a target? What does The Mechanic know about the whole thing? What role does Cryolite’s CEO, Dr. Andreas Tork (Richard Harris) have in the unfolding mystery? What about Elsa Lubing (Vanessa Redgrave), a former secretary of Cryolite’s who says she has a “sense of God”? What do all these quirky, colorful folks have to do with Isaiah’s death? What is waiting on the isolated glacier in Greenland? Will Smilla’s American doctor father (Robert Loggia) finally get tired of giving her an allowance even though she’s, like, thirty-five?
That is all yet to be discovered. By you folks, anyway. Because I already know the answers, I’m going to get myself another Vodka Cranberry! Salute!
BUT, SERIOUSLY: As we discussed in our review for DIE HARD 2 (review # 194), we talked about how precarious it is to craft a sequel to a beloved film. You have to balance what made the first one work so well, while striking out into new territory so as not to be merely rehashing the original. On top of that, you also have to ensure you don’t go too far into left field - and lose everyone.
Even trickier, though, is adapting a beloved novel into a film. As with crafting a cinematic sequel, you have to retain what was loved about the book, while also taking into consideration the limitations of telling a story visually. In a novel, we have the luxury of climbing into a character’s head and hearing what he/she is thinking. In a film, unless you want to bore an audience with exposition, you don’t have that luxury. You have to find a way to reveal a character’s inner life through other ways. And when you’re dealing with a novel like “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” which is primarily about its protagonist’s inner turmoil, and secondarily about the mystery surrounding her, you have got your work cut out for you.
Director Bille August and screenwriter Ann Biderman pretty much succeed in bringing to life the mystery angle of the plot. The question of what made Isaiah jump off the roof, and the terrifying puzzle behind his death, are grippingly transferred to the screen. This part of the movie works quite well, and generates a reasonable amount of suspense and tension.
What doesn’t transfer quite as fluidly, though, is Smilla herself - or her personal angst over Isaiah’s death and unique view of life in general. In the novel, Smilla has such a distinctively quirky voice that is simultaneously funny and serious, as well as soulful and sardonic. I’ve read the novel many times, and the impression I’ve always taken away is that of a complicated, brilliant woman who is both bothered and comforted by her “outsider” status - and is drawn to protect other “outsiders” like Isaiah.
In the film, though, Smilla is a bit, well, too polished and glamorous. I’m not sure if this is how the role was written in the script, or if Julia Ormond chose to play her this way. The result is a character who is quite different from the novel. Sure, Smilla is still tough, formidable, and intimidating - but a lot of the acid humor that made her so appealing is gone. In Julia Ormond’s interpretation, Smilla is just a variation on that old trope: “The Elegant Ice Princess Who Gradually Melts.” I used to think perhaps I was disappointed with the film because of my own personal vision of how Smilla should have been played. I was relieved to learn of other fans of the book who felt the same way, that the cinematic Smilla was just not as colorful as the novel’s Smilla.
Let me try to paint a picture of how we felt Smilla should have been portrayed. Our vision of her is closer to Noomi Rapace’s interpretation of Lisbeth Salander from THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. I’ve always felt that Lisbeth felt like an homage to the Smilla of the novel: nonconformist, outlandish, determined, courageous, sensitive, distinctive, unforgettable. The Smilla in the movie seems like just another very beautiful, well-dressed, assertive movie heroine with an agenda.
Please note that I am not knocking Julia Ormond here. Technically, her portrayal in the movie is quite good. Her perfect beauty is absolutely right for a woman who is aloof, uncompromising, and almost unreachable - and likes it that way. Unfortunately, either by virtue of how she was directed, or her own choice, Ormond doesn’t tap into Smilla’s reservoir of droll, self-deprecating humor that was sprinkled throughout the book amidst all the serious parts. That changes a lot about how she comes across. With her cool composure and chic aura, Ormond is just not "wild" enough.
Anyone who hasn’t read the book may rate SMILLA’S SENSE OF SNOW a bit higher than above-average. For me, though, it’s a slight disappointment - even with Julia Ormond’s commanding central performance, a solid roster of supporting stars, and an atmospherically-realized thriller plot. Basically, this is a handsome, sleek production that has some heart. Just not as much as in the novel. By changing the lead character, the special tone of the novel becomes almost generic onscreen. Like any other above-average thriller. And for a book as special as “Smilla’s Sense of Snow”, that is not good enough.
In other words, it comes down to that cliché that we’ve been hearing forever - and will likely continue to hear: “It’s just not as good as the book.”
