David Gordon Green is not a filmmaker one immediately seeks out for upbeat sentiments about life. Indeed, his understanding of the realities of the human condition doesn't usually offer an in-depth explanation about the behavior or state of mind of his characters. But he is a master of tone and feeling. And in Snow Angels, the subtly superb achievement that is his latest work, he reaches a pinnacle of atmospheric expression that stays with you long after the narrative details fade.

The story of Snow Angels is fairly simply, and perhaps even familiar in the independent arena. A couple that has separated (Sam Rockwell and Kate Beckinsale) are each attempting to pick up the threads of a future when they are dealt a further blow that leads to a dark conclusion. And a somewhat-nerdy young man in the throes of discovering a first romance must also deal with the separation and consequent strife of his parents' failed relationship.

Green's accomplishments are not just in the realm of character study but in the intensity of the emotions he provokes. The lyricism of his storytelling belies his use of naturalism and invokes a beautifully constructed faux reality from which emotional truth flows. He is without question a filmmaker with a special gift.