This thrilling drama draws you in to the mind of a detective deprived of sleep, burdened by
guilt and dazed by the endless sunlight in far northern Alaska – and it’s a
gripping crime story to boot!
From
the mind behind Memento comes another film that deals with loaded psychological
issues. The hook here is the setting – the town of Nightmute, Alaska, where the
sun shines 24/7 in the warmer months. The issues are ones visited by Nolan time and again - guilt, justice, responsibility. Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a detective of legendary stature sent north to assist local police on a
particularly puzzling case, while back in LA he is under the scrutiny of Internal Affairs.
The
film is basically a straightforward crime drama until half an hour in, when a
chase through the Alaskan fog leads to an accident that changes the course of
the investigation, and the film. The majority of the film deals with Wills
struggle against the murderer, Walter Finch, despite his deteriorating state as
he fails to sleep, night after night.
The
performances here are fantastic, particularly Al Pacino as the bad-ass cop
slowly coming apart and Robin Williams as a surprisingly chilling villain. The
editing is nice, with recurring flashbacks that add to the mystery and
atmosphere, especially the very creepy extreme close-up of blood drops soaking
through a piece of fabric. For lovers of crime films, this is a must-watch
thriller, with heavy atmosphere and surprising plot turns.
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