Good performances, but not a great film

Rating: Null/10 (1 May 2002)

I saw a sneak preview of this film tonight and I wasn't terribly impressed. I thought Al Pacino's performance was one of the better ones his given recently, and it was nice to see Robin Williams in a serious role. I thought Hillary Swank's performance was average, but the character was a little cliched and underdeveloped. The supporting cast was fine, but the movie is really about Pacino's character and he really looks like he hasn't slept for days. The movie was a little confusing to follow at first (but makes sense in retrospect) and develops somewhat slowly. It definitely gains steam as the movie moves along. There really isn't a lot of suspense as to who dunnit? and the ending is also not too surprising. That's not to say the movie isn't suspenseful or interesting. The intrigue comes from watching how Pacino's character deals with the situation and how the story will reach the inevitable finish. The interaction between Pacino and William's characters is great, especially in the interrogation scene. William's character probably could have been fleshed out a little more. Probably the best thing about the movie was the scenery. The film takes place in Alaska and the locations are stunning. That alone is almost worth the price of admission. I don't think this movie will leave an impression on its audience like Memento, but it's a different type of movie. If you like Al Pacino or movies that focus on characters put in situations where they are forced to question their previous actions, it's worth seeing. Otherwise, you might find it a bit dull.
I'd give it a *** out of *****