Critic Reviews

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) Rank 4 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) a score of 2.5341 out of 4

based on (162) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(15)

Very Good

(89)

Good

(49)

Fair

(8)

Poor

(1)

Reviews by Score:

CinemaSense.Com: Movie Reviews of the Heart

...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at CinemaSense.Com: Movie Reviews of the Heart

Film Quips Online (John R. McEwen)

Snow Falling On Cedars leaves one with the feeling of having just finished a good novel; this is perhaps the highest praise one could offer a film based on a best-seller. ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Film Quips Online (John R. McEwen)

Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)

...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Looking Closer (Jeffrey Overstreet)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Uusually satisfying in the way it unfolds. ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

Boston Globe (Jay Carr)

The kind of richly layered film that Hollywood seldom attempts, much less brings off. But it's more than brought off here in grand, solid style and beautifully crafted detail. ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Boston Globe (Jay Carr)

ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

Throughout much of the film, Ishamael is obsessed by facts. ("Facts you can cling to; emotions just float away.") He insists that his profession, that of a reporter, is all about uncovering the truth. Not until the end does he understand what ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

Dustin Putman

Superficially a courtroom mystery, in which a young Japanese fisherman, Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune) is being tried for the alleged murder of a man on a foginduced night in the Pacific Northwest, circa 1950, what the film truly is, at heart, is a moving ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Dustin Putman

Michael Dequina

Of course, there is a story here, and the primary one revolves around the 1950 trial of JapaneseAmerican Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune), who is charged with murder. Kazuo is married to Hatsue (Youki Kudoh), whose heart truly belongs to the caucasian Ishmael ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Michael Dequina

Movielocity Movie Reviews (Blake Kunisch)

Snow Falling on Cedars is - in one word - gorgeous. The whole movie is beautiful from start to finish. The camera shots are breathtaking in the cedars, on the beach, on the ocean, every single one. Films like Snow Falling on Cedars don't come around too ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Movielocity Movie Reviews (Blake Kunisch)

Cinematter (Matt Williams)

Scott Hicks directs this tale of a Japanese-American man (Rick Yune) on trial for murder. Ethan Hawke stars as a journalist covering the trial, whose childhood sweetheart married the accused. James Cromwell will play the judge. Max von Sydow, Youki ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Cinematter (Matt Williams)

Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

As an atmospheric listening experience, Snow Falling on Cedars is among the better albums of the year. The cues are seamless, without an interruption by any particularly weak track. It is the type of score that needs to appreciated at high ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Filmtracks (Christian Clemmensen)

Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)

...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Tracksounds! (Christopher Coleman)

ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

Every now and then, thinking people need reminders to revive our own idealism. Those poignant images of the �internment� following Pearl Harbor alone make Hicks� film worth a rental. ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

"Snow Falling on Cedars" is a rich, multilayered film about a high school romance and a murder trial a decade later. The young lovers are Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke), son of the local ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

Scott Hicks' Snow Falling on Cedars, based on the best-selling novel by David Guterson, is one of the most anticipated releases of the Christmas season. Seeking to do justice to the book's complexity, the director employs a non-linear, multi-layered struc ...read the complete Snow Falling on Cedars movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)

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