Smilla's Sense of Snow

The book is an original and highly unconventional mix of genres (that ending, though), a sort of "lyrical-social eco-whodunit", while the film adaptation sticks to a mostly mysterious storyline like out of The X-Files, which is definitely not a bad thing. (22/05/2007)

I haven't read the book, but from the looks of the adaptation, I'd guess it's something along the lines of Dan Brown's (non-Langdon) stuff. Which is not a bad thing. The film looks good, and I was surprised by the likable cast led by a very cool Julia Ormond, but the moment the heroine boards a ship and sets off for Greenland, an interesting thriller with a solid atmosphere becomes a strangely dull parade of strange situations, culminating in a final explosion and (not shown) escape from an avalanche that would have been unbelievable even in a Bond film. Alas. A big bonus is the music by Gregson-Williams and Zimmer - I haven't heard it yet, but it strikes me as one of their best works ever. (04/11/2013)

The book is above average! The film is average! Smilla's Feeling for Snow isn't great, but it's not a disaster, either. The cinematography is a bit awkward, but the music is nice. The filmmakers left the basic storyline unchanged, thankfully, but you can find a few inconsistencies and mostly a lot of flaws – the Sea and Ice section is too abbreviated. In short, a film that doesn't impress, but on the other hand doesn't annoy either. (11/12/2010)

I give it a weak three stars basically only for highly above-average cast, location, wherein shots of Nordic landscapes, glaciers, and overall extraordinary environment naturally play a positive role, and ultimately for directing skill, when Bille August is able to keep the viewer in suspense for a long time and evoke greater expectations than the cliché ending brings. I never read the book, so the revelation of this promising mysterious spectacle disappointed me a lot. The last 15 minutes of the film simply sink it. It needed more work on the script and avoid predictable scenes at the end, which seemed to come out of a movie parody. Overall impression: 50%. (17/10/2008)

A two-hour version of a better episode of The X-Files, supported by excellent acting and a tantalizing mystery. Smilla’s Sense of Snow is a slow, fragile film from which you shouldn’t expect much action, but you have to get in tune with its atmospheric vibe. (30/10/2002)