Written and directed by: Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert
Starring Alec Utgoff, Jerzy Naiserowski, and Maja Ostaszewska
Runtime: 113 Min.
Released on July 30th by Kino Lorber

by Miguel Alejandro Marquez, Staff Writer

Never Gonna Snow Again is a Polish film that follows the day-to-day life of Russian born masseur, Zhenia, in Poland. When the townsfolk realize that the Masseur has the gift to relieve trauma, they become enamoured with his hypnotic abilities. This film, and the direction that it takes, is strangely hypnotic itself.

The film is excellent with its usage of sound, and simple, yet complex, cinematography. This film doesn’t need to be showy in how it presents itself. Simple uses of wides, mediums, and close-ups express a variety of different tones and feelings. From the very first few minutes of Never Gonna Snow Again, it is obvious that it’s not only a film that tries to break the mold, but an experiment, a meditation of both sight and sound.

Alex Utgoff (of Stranger Things fame), plays Zhenia with subtlety. His character is surrounded by mystery. At the very beginning of the film, we understand his character’s connection to the elemental by him stepping out of the Polish landscape. He literally comes out of the darkness. Zhenia has a connection to the supernatural of the world, caused by the Chernobyl disaster (This possibly being a slight nod to Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker), and has an understanding of what makes people lose grasp of their humanity. Zhenia and his connection to the unknown, leads the characters on a path that will change their lives forever.

The surrealist aspects of the film play well with the subject. The first act is a series of vignettes of people receiving messages from our protagonist. There is an interlinked theme of unhappiness in each household. Each person who is touched by him is unhappy, but unhappy by their own doing. Their problems are a byproduct of their wealth, class, and positions in life. They are a representation to the variety of different reasons people become unhappy. The solutions to their unhappiness comes in the form of introspection; introspection that takes the form of the main character’s abilities. To us, and to the main character, their pursuits are pathetic. Pathetic, yet relatable, maybe even justified at times.

One might improperly take the film’s pacing as sluggish, or dull, by its lack of music, and lack of defined goal, but these vignettes, these stories, need to be told in this way. This is a film that uses minimalism to its advantage. This film is about the human experience. It’s imperative that the film conducts itself in both a serious, and sometimes sardonic, tone. Without this style, the film would be crippled. The meaning would be lost.

The vignettes weave and intertwine to show the disparity of people. To quote the late, great, Charles Bukowski: “we don’t think about the terror of one person.” This film is about both the terror of one individual, but also the terror surrounding one town. A town that may never snow again.

Snow is mentioned numerous times, from simple conversations and observations, until it is seen laying on the houses in the finale. Snow may be a metaphor to our sins. The last thing shown at the end of film is this statement: “Forecasts predict that there will be no snow past 2025.” No matter what we do, we can’t ignore what our civilization has done. We can’t ignore the detriments to our actions. Neither can the characters.

There is a conversation that happens at the very beginning of the film. In this conversation, a woman talks to Zhenia, talking down to him and saying that his simple, yet happy perspective, is a product of stupidity. She brings up the idea of perspective in relation to a painting. She says that she sees a dot. Zhenia says that he sees just circles. They repeat this over and over again: Me, circles. You, dot. This statement is a reflection of what the painting/life, means to those who live it. The protagonist sees the people as they are, he sees their sins, but is still able to love them and to be a member of the community. The people see themselves flawed, just like he sees them, but do nothing to change. He sees the ability to change. They see Zhenia as an opportunity to ignore their punishments, and gain some form of peace.

Never Gonna Snow Again so far is the best film that I’ve watched in 2021. This humble critic is amazed by how much was done with this story. Yes, the film’s ending was quite random and full of unfinished, unresolved, and often unclear actions, but first and second act outweighs the fizzled out ending.

That’s my perspective. Me, dot. You, circles..