A reminder of what a good director, script, and cast can achieve

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2016)

Christopher Nolan follows the flawless MEMENTO with this, another one-word title film and another inventive, superb effort. Based on a Norwegian movie (which I haven't, as yet, seen), this tells the oft-told tale of a world-weary cop vs. a nasty and particularly slimy killer. What makes it special is the script – very believable and down-to-earth – and the characters, who are so realistically drawn that you can easily believe they are living, breathing people. The setting of the icy, desolate Alaskan town is very good indeed, combined with excellent cinematography which brings out every characteristic of the location and makes it feel really unique. Nolan shoots his film expertly, mixing in some fine chase and action sequences (the log run is brilliantly conceived) with the heavier, more dramatic moments.
Al Pacino is fine in the role of the ageing, flawed cop. Sure it's a performance we've all seen before but he makes it extra special with his singular powers of method acting and realism. You feel tired just looking at his weary, end-of-the-road cop. The supporting cast are all fine but it's Robin Williams who really steals the show as the killer, Finch. Williams is nasty, slimy, villainous, creepy, and totally scary, a mundane and quiet little man who's prone to bursts of a violent psychopathic nature. The film remains unpredictable throughout, letting the suspense build gradually as the cat-and-mouse storyline increases the tension, before ending in a sudden burst of violence and excitement. Magnificent stuff, sadly all too rare these days in Hollywood but a reminder of what a good director, a good script and a good cast can really do.