Worth losing sleep for the thrill ride of the summer

Rating: Null/10 (5 June 2002)

Most moviegoers blast or criticized actors for sleepwalking through their roles,but that's exactly what makes Al Pacino's turn as a L.A. cop who's sleepless in Alaska so eye opening. In this remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same title,you can't keep your peepers off the battered Pacino who is investigating the brutal murder of a teenage girl. The problem is,he can't focus on the crime(or his other problems) because he's kept awake at night in a state that has six continous hours of daylight(the always-sunny Arctic summer). His tortured moodiness is intensified by Robin Williams(successfully wielding his dark side and one of the most chilling character portrayals of his career),who could be the murderer and messes with Pacino's already scrambled marbles. All the while,bright-eyed local law enforcement gal Hillary Swank,is about to get to the bottom of everything including in finding out who the culprit is. Luckily,suspense maestro and director Christopher Nolan(Memento) keeps his wits about him to draw out a very deliberate,stylish and precise game of psychological thrills that'll keep your head spinning and your eyes squinting until the end. So far,it is the best reason to stay awake in theater for the thrill ride of the summer.