Visually striking cinematography impresses in post-apocalyptic snow flick

As you can tell by these reviews, I love movies. There is nothing that I love more than a great film. Fortunately, we have such a rich selection of genres to choose from. Each one allows the audience to go on a different ride every time.

It all depends on which type of roller coaster you want to go on. “The Avengers” was a blast to sit through, as was “Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” “Snowpiercer,” however, is another beast entirely.

“Snowpiercer” establishes a world where humanity has devised a weapon that we thought would help stop global warming. Instead, it ended up freezing every corner of the world.

What’s left of humanity lives on this one train that travels around the world on one track, over and over again.  In the front lives the wealthy one percent led by Mason (Tilda Swinton) and Wilford (Ed Harris).

In the back lives the poor, sick and nearly everyone else. Fed up with their situation, Curtis (Chris Evans) decides to lead a revolt to get control of the train.

But the farther he gets, the more challenges he has to face in the name of danger.

Philip Bergeron / Graphic Design Editor

No matter what I say in this review, it will not do “Snowpiercer” enough justice. It makes me sad that the mainstream didn’t get to see it  until it came out on Blu-ray. A debacle with The Weinstein Company made “Snowpiercer”  a limited release. But, due to its popularity, it seems to be gaining quite a following.

Let’s begin with Mr. Captain America himself. Lately, Chris Evans has proven that he is more than capable of being a terrific actor. Earlier this year, he did a great job with “The Winter Soldier,” but I believe that his presence in “Snowpiercer” tops that by a mile.

His character is tough, yet vulnerable at the same time. He’s a heavily flawed human being with a good heart.

It’s perfect because, for a film like this, you need a protagonist that isn’t a perfect superhero.  Fortunately, Chris Evans fits this role like a glove.

As does the supporting cast with such names as Octavia Spencer, Jamie Bell, John Hurt, Kang-ho Song and  Ah-sung Ko. They all work together as a unified team to take down their oppressors.

The first person that you see from the front is Tilda Swinton as this maniacal, yet over-the-top, leader. You can tell in every scene that she is having so much fun playing this character and chewing up the scenery.

As for all of the side characters along the way, they pretty much do the same exact thing. But what stops that from being too silly is the film’s tone. Despite being an action movie, it’s also one of the best social satires I’ve seen in some time.

Each section of this train shows us how much the one percent have compared to the rest of the world.

All they want is power and control and they are willing to go to horrific lengths to get them.  So far, that it even involves children.

The second time around, I noticed more details than I did before.

This genius can all be attributed to the film’s director, Bong Joon-ho. Bong Joon-ho has managed to introduce us to this harsh environment and keep us invested in the plight of his characters.

Any director that can immerse you into his/her environment proves his/her talent. Joon-ho knows how to work the camera as he creates some tension filled action sequences. Here, nobody is safe and anybody can be killed at any time. Every single frame is visually beautiful to look at, as there is always something going on.

I could go on and on, but like I said before, even that wouldn’t do Snowpiercer any sliver of justice.

Rating: A

Matt Bilodeau can be contacted at mbilodeau@keene-equinox.com