It's the guilt that drives us

Rating: 7/10 (18 June 2008)

Two detectives come to little, remote Alaskan village to look into a bizarre murder of a young girl. Both of the detectives are a bit on the edge, as they both know back in home there's a internal investigation waiting for both of them. On the top of that Dormer (Al Pacino () is trying his best to fight against insomnia, caused by the never descending summer sun of the northern hemisphere. Or maybe it is guilt that keeps knocking in the back of his mind, that keeps him awake.
The things escalate, when Dormer accidentally shoots his partner Eckhart (Martin Donovan) and tries to pin the blame on the killer they are chasing. Only one who sees holes in his story is the young detective Burr (Hillary Swank), who struggles between exposing the truth and admiration towards her older colleague.
The guilt. That is the main word here. We all are guilty of something, but of what. And what are we willing to do to cover that guilt and how severe are the thing we are guilty of. Also, there's a moral in the story, which goes, that only way to get rid of they guilt is to do the right thing, even if might cause a storm after wards.
Christopher Nolan does a steady job helming this film. The feeling is paranoid and atmosphere is grim and menacing. But it also is quite clear from the get go, that the things are gonna explode and the sins are gonna get revealed at the end. Robin Williams does a good, yet predictable role as the killer, who has had his killer instinct woken up and the final outcome of the film can be seen coming from a far distance. But in the end, a solid cast and a good direction do bring the film from mediocre to good, so I'd recommend it for the fans of good noir yarns.