Put me to sleep

Rating: 6/10 (13 November 2002)

The script defies convention by revealing the killer early on, the cast and director makes for a stellar line-up, yet this film doesn't hit the heights it should. The tension is slack, Nolan opting for a morality film which might have worked well if the issues were more fully explored. It remains an enjoyable film, however Nolan's direction does the cast and script a slight disservice.
The performances of Swank, Pacino, and Williams are consistently good. However there is a lack of chemistry within each relationship in this film, in stark contrast to Memento. The LA investigation is touched on in a rather light fashion for a plot device on which the ethical dilemmas of the film come to hinge.
The two murders committed in the film are not given equal moral complexity, which might cloud the judgement of the viewer. It is clear all along that Nolan is placing the audience on the conventional side of the moral equation.
Despite these flaws, Pacino shines as the decorated cop whose years in the job have eroded his moral fibre. I'd like to see the original Norwegian version [with subtitles of course!] to examine the film from a different director's perspective.