A real thriller that owes as much to location as to story

Rating: 8/10 (16 September 2002)

The opening of this movie is typically filmic bordering on cliched, with a panning shot over Alaskan scenery of the two LA cops in a small sea-plane. However, this should not cloud your judgement on what is otherwise an excellent concoction of blinding imageary and genuine suspense.
Al Pacino takes to his character like a duck to water. During the scenes in which he is desperately trying to sleep you really do feel his sense of frustration, despair and fear; also helped by the way the camera is overexposed to the bright light penetrating through every crevice. However it is Williams who really steals the film with one of his best performances ever.
One of the most extraordinary things about this films is the way Williams mananges to play a clearly very evil and distorted psycopath, yet manages the get sympathy from the audince. This isn't just the typical "lovable rogue" Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid style performance; it is much deeper and unfathomable than even the empathy one feels for Hannibal Lector.
Overall this movie is an excellent thriller that owes as much to its beautiful scenery and terrific filmic devices than it does to its script and acting. Its only slightly let down by its rather dissapointingly cliched ending. A deserved 8/10.