Normally I hate American remakes of foreign films. Most of them are pointless and a few are so dumbed down as to be unwatchable. This one was really decent, however. I don't know if that's because I didn't know it was a remake until it was over or because it's Christopher Nolan's work. Either way this is a solid film.Detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and his partner (Martin Donovan) are on loan from LA to a town in Alaska in order to solve a murder and also to get away from the increasing scrutiny of Internal Affairs. A young woman has been killed and Will is certain that the killer will strike again. He comes close to catching the man but accidentally shoots his partner in the fog. Afraid of drawing more heat on himself, he conceals the evidence and the death is blamed on the murderer. But local cop Ellie (Hilary Swank) notices that the evidence doesn't line up with his testimony. Will also starts receiving taunting phone calls from the killer and finds himself completely unable to sleep through the "white nights" of the extreme North, where the sun doesn't set for months.
It's a very well done film and one of Robin Williams' few completely dramatic roles. I have to admit, it was a little bittersweet to see him in something even now, two years after his death. He was so immensely talented.
I can't dwell on that or I'll get all depressed. This does make me want to look for the original, which is from 1997 and stars Stellan Skarsgard.
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