|
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Director: Dominic Sena
Cast: Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom
Skerritt, Columbus Short, Alex O’Loughlin
RunTime: 1 hr 41 mins
Released By: Warner Bros
Rating: PG (Some violence and disturbing scenes)
Official Website: http://www.whiteoutmovie.com/
Opening Day: 17 September 2009
Synopsis:
Carrie Stetko, the lone U.S. Marshal assigned to Antarctica,
is investigating the continent’s first murder, which
draws her into a shocking mystery. Now, with only three days
until winter, Carrie must solve the crime before Antarctica
is plunged into darkness and she is stranded with the killer.
Movie Review:
If you've not read the comic book by Greg Rucka and Steve
Lieber, the synopsis would have you imagine that you're prepped
for one heck of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Unfortunately,
Whiteout at no point in time seemed capable of providing that
potential for mystery, nor does it have the bandwidth to keep
you guessing. You'll find yourself really not caring too much
about whatever or whoever the characters are searching for,
and are probably going to enjoy this a lot more if you're
expecting no more than a standard police drama/action flick.
Fans of Kate Beckinsale who have sorely missed her pasty white
features from the Underworld films, will have to make do with
her role here as the sole US Marshal in Antarctica, guardian
of the peace amongst the scientific research community, who
also possesses those equally pale features due to the lack
of a good sun tan. Wrapped up most of the time in thick clothing,
one wonders what Dominic Sena must have been thinking for
that introduction to her character, where you're given an
idea just how cold it is out there in the ice continent, and
that establishing shot of Beckinsale's butt, probably crediting
it to walking around the various camps, doing her rounds,
and solving petty cases.
The routine, non-challenging career of hers turns upside down
just as when everyone got down to preparing for an evacuation
from an impending storm and 6 months of winter, and she has
to face a body found with mysterious wounds, proving to be
that stumbling block toward freedom under the warm sunshine
of Miami. So begins the proverbial cat and mouse game of investigations
with prime suspects tossed up at every corner especially once
Beckinsale's Carrie Stetko reveals her back story, which comes
with plenty of trust issues and baggage, helped in no part
by the rather low key male counterparts in Dr. John Fury (Tom
Skerritt), UN Investigator Robert Pryce (Gabriel Macht) and
pilot Delfy (Columbus Short), who is probably the most invisible
of all sidekicks.
Having watched Werner Herzog's documentary Encounters at the
End of the World, I dare say I have a reasonably good glimpse
into how the research community at the Antarctica operate.
While one can say this is a work of fiction, there are a number
of scenes here which are depicted fairly accurately, such
as the briefing to newbies where the objective is to emphasize
on safety first, and to allow for first hand experience of
the dangers one could face in sub zero temperatures, under
a controlled scenario of course. Others though were quite
telling in the technical need to literally show face, hence
one wonders if that kind of temperatures do allow you to go
unmasked in the lower half of the face without the lips go
cracking up.
I have to admit I've not read the source material, but Dominic
Sen had crafted the set action pieces in quite matter-of-fact
fashion, with little frills. At some points you're just going
to scream at Carrie for not whipping out and using that handgun
of hers (which you're constantly being reminded of through
close-ups), or thanks to the director in wanting you to experience
a whiteout, have the blizzard constantly whipping everything
on screen into a white, leaving you barely able to make out
who's actually who. There's a reason to this visual madness
of course, but one that had its potential for mystery and
surprises, cliche though they may be, all thrown out the window,
resulting in rather adrenaline-less action pieces.
Whiteout isn't all that bad of course, though I'm finding
it really hard pressed to merit any scene which stood out.
It works as an average police action thriller that plods quite
slowly, a far cry from Sena's earlier adrenaline-pumping films
like Gone in Sixty Seconds and Swordfish.
Movie Rating:
 
(Like plain old vanilla white – a good base
lacking in ingredients to
spice it up..)
Review by Stefan Shih
|
