| Sterilized for U.S. consumption |
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| written by rarcher |
November 14, 2003 - 8:05 PM PST |
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6 out of 7 members found this review helpful
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After seeing the Norwegian Insomnia, this overprocessed, generic American thriller was a real disappointment. Evidently the original film's pallette of moral grays was deemed too complex for Hollywood. Here the detective's questionable choices are far easier to understand and to sympathize with. Crucial scenes in which his ruthlessness were apparent in the Norwegian version have been "cleaned up;" even the climax of the film now redeems him as a hero rather than leaving the question open for the audience to answer.
Nuanced performances by Williams and Pacino can't overcome a script that seems hell bent on explaining (several times, in many cases) everything we might possibly need to imagine. And while the film is nicely shot and takes advantage of lush Alaskan locations, it is not particularly interesting visually. Everything is crisp; the blurs, flickers, and off-kilter texture you would expect in a film whose principal character is insomniac are nowhere to be found. |
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