A great Alaskan murder mystery

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2005)

This film is a fine detective story of a cop weighed down by a personal demons about a murder and a cover-up in separate cases. Al Pacino is a troubled, tired and compromised investigator as he hunts for a psycho killer who taunts him throughout the film. Martin Donovan, Robin Williams and Hillary Swank have key supporting roles in this taut thriller that is among Pacino's best films. Swank is the hero-worshiping policewoman who at first admires Pacino then sees him in a different light as the investigation moves forward. Maura Tierney is also good in a brief appearance before the explosive shootout at the end of the film. The picture has a tense, throbbing music score and beautiful but subdued cinematography of the great Alaskan outdoors.