Gordy Hoffman’s debut feature (he wrote Love Liza in 2002 for brother Phillip Seymour Hoffman and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance) really began five or six years ago when he was eating a cheeseburger in L.A. Lost in his sandwich, Hoffman was distracted by a bunch of young women in high heels stepping out of a limo to enjoy some fast food. He thought, “Wow. All you need is a limousine and bunch of girls,” and you have a movie. A Coat of Snow is the resulting film. With the actresses also serving as cinematographers, he has created what appears to be a “found film”.

The basic premise is a bachelorette party – one that is being filmed by the bride’s cousin – and the difficulties that come from the sometimes uncomfortable mix of friends and family that can occur at such events. Incidents that seem meaningless at first actually become foreshadowing for challenges to come. A simple dropped jar leads to major injury. The revelation of silly girlhood secrets sets the audience up for the revelations to come.

Hoffman’s film is a challenging one. Indeed, it challenges what cinema truly is. With remakably natural performances (many would be hard-pressed to believe that the women are acting – and that’s a compliment) and fluid camera that becomes a ninth character, A Coat of Snow slowly envelops the audience. What seems trivial becomes vital. What seems like a simple piece of work is, at its heart, a searing portrait of women (each of the eight actresses assisted in developing the screenplay) – at their strongest and at their weakest. In the end, it is a truly unique cinematic experience that one is unlikely to forget. - Wm. Brian Owens