Al Pacino (Detective Will Dormer), from the lower 48, flys to Alaska during the time of year when the nighttime looks very much like the daytime. Dormer cannot adjust to these conditions for the few days that he's there, and as a result, he cannot sleep...ergo, insomnia. Pacino must have done an effective job of portraying the sleep-deprived Dormer because just about everyone who sees this movie feels fatigued afterward. This is undoubtedly by design, but unfortunately, fatigue isn't the emotional involvement that I enjoy during a movie experience.
The best scenes occur when Dormer and Walter Finch (Robin Williams) are on-screen at the same time. We know from the trailer that Finch is the murderer who didn't leave any clues. The interesting aspect of this film isn't in the murder investigation but in the unique relationship that develops between Dormer and Finch. The fact that Dormer despises Finch seems to realistically energize Pacino's performance, a jolt of adrenaline amidst complete exhaustion. Williams also does an effective job as the level-headed, almost emotionless, novelist who demonstrates a propensity for startling brutality.
By the structure of the story, Pacino and Williams do not share the screen too often. It's not a great movie, but it is a pretty good movie. I'm sure that I would have liked it better if more emphasis was devoted to the Dormer-Finch storyline and the draining audience involvement was downplayed. |
