Review: Whiteout (2009)

[Steve Rhodes]

WHITEOUT
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2009 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****):  ** 1/2

WHITEOUT, a tolerably entertaining film starring the weather, begins in 1957 
when a Russian plane crashes in Antarctica, after a gunfight on board causes 
the pilot to be killed.

Cutting to the present day, WHITEOUT transports us to the U.S. research 
station at the South Pole, where soon the last plane will be leaving before 
the upcoming winter storms make travel impossible until the spring.

The thin plot of the fictional story concerns the first murder ever to occur 
in Antarctica, but, before U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko is told about the 
body, she has a more important task to perform.  Played by the gorgeous Kate 
Beckinsale, Stetko is sent to the shower by director Dominic Sena.  Why? 
Well, because it serves a purpose, albeit not in service of the narrative.

Beckinsale's steamy solo shower scene serves notice on the audience that the 
picture is ready to make up for its highly predicable plot with whatever eye 
candy it takes to entertain us.  This is the last time we'll get any sexual 
titillation, but the movie does provide some absolutely spectacular images 
of whiteout conditions, which are in equal measures, fascinating and 
frightening.

Throughput the film, however, I figured it was rated PG-13 -- at most. 
Afterwards I was surprised to see it was rated R, which made me wonder why 
Beckinsale's brief nudity was so chaste.  But I digress.

Stetko is told about a dead geologist found without the proper clothing in 
the middle of nowhere, which is certainly a mystery, but will Stetko be able 
to wrap up her investigation before the last plane leaves?

When a mysterious stranger, who claims to be a U.N. investigator named Pryce 
(Gabriel Macht), shows up soon after Stetko has a near deadly encounter with 
an axe-swinging murderer whose face is covered by a mask, she becomes 
instantly suspicious of Pryce.  To make sure we get the point that we are 
suppose to suspect Pryce, Stetko and her pilot remark about how they don't 
trust Pryce.  All of this, of course, means Pryce is undoubtedly the most 
reliable guy around, causing us to look elsewhere for bad guys.  And, since 
there are few choices, the mystery is fairly easily solved.

But this doesn't make any difference, since the film never takes itself too 
seriously.  Watching the weather blow and howl proves to be completely 
mesmerizing.  And there are some terrific action sequences in the film. 
Sure, it's not much of a movie, but I kind of enjoyed it.

WHITEOUT runs 1:36.  It is rated R for "violence, grisly images, brief 
strong language and some nudity" and would be acceptable, I think, for kids 
around 10 and up.  The images shown are less graphic than most "CSI" 
episodes on TV.

The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, September 11, 
2009.  In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the 
Cinemark theaters and the Camera Cinemas.

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