Snow Cake (15)

Snow Cake revolves around the relationship between Alex (Alan Rickman), an Englishman in Canada who has just survived a car accident in which the hitchhiker he picked up was killed, and Linda (Sigourney Weaver), the dead girl's mother. Linda's autism makes her seem to care about her daughter's death much less than the man who barely knew her.

Traumatised and feeling responsible, Alex calls on Linda to offer support. She seems more concerned that he keeps his wet shoes off her carpet and empty the trash. Perhaps contrary to what you might expect in real life, the screenplay has Rickman decide to stay, compelled by a woman whose indifference forces him to deal with his own reserve. The attentions of a warm-blooded neighbour, Maggie (Carrie-Anne Moss), also play their part in thawing Rickman's damaged character.

A pleasing, if ultimately unremarkable, chamber piece about loss.