Rating- * * * * (4/5)
I said before that Christopher Nolan had a bright future ahead of him after Memento, and I was right. This remake of a classic Norwegian film is very heavy, dark, and atmospheric, much like Memento, but unlike Nolan’s previous work, this film hinges on the characters thoughts rather than their actions. This film stars the great Al Pacino as LAPD detective Dormer who has gone to Alaska with a partner under the guise of assisting with a murder case but really to avoid a massive internal affairs investigation that could lead to trouble for Dormer. Dormer is a veteran cop who has been at the game for decades and knows it better than anyone in the movie, but he is not without fault; on one of his earlier cases, he planted evidence to make the case stick for a man he knew was guilty. His partner is planning to turn him in to LA in exchange for immunity from the investigations. As the two detectives arrive in Alaska, they meet a rookie cop, played by Hillary Swank, who introduces them to the case; a seventeen year-old girl was beaten to death by someone she knew and her body was then cleaned and dumped so as to prevent the cops from pegging the killer early on. Compounding the investigation is the fact that it never gets dark in Alaska this time of year, making it impossible for the troubled detective to sleep. When the police decide to go check out the cabin where the girl’s backpack was found, they find a man in a cloak who runs away. As the group pursues him, he shoots one cop and Pacino takes pursuit. In the thick fog, Pacino sees a figure he thinks is the suspect and shoots. As it turns out, it was his partner, who believes in his dying moments that Pacino shot him on purpose in order to shut him up about the evidence planting. Pacino realizes that it could look bad and blames the shooting of his partner on the suspect. The rest of the film follows the pursuit of this suspect, who turns out to be Robin Williams, and the problems that arise when he tells Pacino that he knows what really happened to his partner and he is willing to tell. This film is terrifically suspenseful as the killer continues to make ominous phone calls to Pacino and the shootout at the end is very well-done, if a little cliché. The most remarkable thing about this film is watching Al Pacino slowly deteriorate over the course of the film from lack of sleep. Human beings cannot function or think clearly without sleep his growing guilt keeps him from his much needed rest. The constant light symbolizes Pacino’s paranoia that everyone is watching him and his fear that someone will discover his secret. This is one of the best psychological thrillers in recent time and definitely has the best performances of the year from Pacino, Williams, and Swank. I highly recommend this dark thriller for anyone who likes good acting and suspenseful crime films.