Let's be realistic.

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Maybe I was just distracted by Kate Beckinsale's beauty, but this movie made no sense. The bland storyline clumsily tumbled along with very few surprises. It wasn't the thriller it claimed to be. I'm sorry, Kate, but this movie wasn't very good - please forgive me.

Stationed at an Antarctic research station, a United States marshal battles inner demons while trying to solve a murder mystery in this thriller from 'Swordfish' director Dominic Sena. The chief novelty of the film is the South Pole setting and filmed in the snowy Canadian wilderness, the film features some great exterior shots that make it genuinely feel like the characters are living in the most isolated continent on Earth. There are a couple of good chase scenes in the blistering snow too. All that said and done, the vast majority of 'Whiteout' disappointingly takes place indoors though and with far more dialogue than action, it mostly has the feel of a generic action investigative thriller; even the intermittent flashbacks to past events that still haunt her feel routine. The film does not get much out of its supporting characters either, Tom Skerritt's ageing doctor aside, which renders it a little hard to get emotionally invested as the body count begins to mount as the film plods along. Skerritt's final scene is admittedly awesome though and there is a very intense part in which he has to medically treat the protagonist (to say more might ruin a fresh experience of the film). When push comes to shove, there is enough of interest in 'Whiteout' to render it possibly worth a look, but as a narrative it is hardly first rate, protagonist haunted by past memories or not.

Whiteout is a perfectly adequate diversion for a couple of hours. The terrain is magnificent and the setting of the base convincing and atmospheric. There are some decent performances, but the characters are somewhat off-the-shelf and, ultimately, the film is let down by its story, which is underwhelming, the motivations of those involved seeming unimportant to the point that you might wonder why they bothered. Kate Beckinsale is as watchable as ever, and there is a genuinely moving scene between her and the underrated Tom Skerrit in which it is easy to become emotionally involved. Beckinsale's back-story is also a convincing attempt to explain why someone might take a long posting in the Antarctic. If you want snowbound action with real scares however you are better with John Carpenter's 'The Thing' - or if it's intrigue in a winter landscape that draws you, the excellent 'Bear Island' from a novel by Alistair MacLean is well worth seeking out.

Kate Beckinsale stars as a US Marshal at an international research station in Antarctica while Tom Skerritt plays the friendly doctor. The Marshal's about to leave the station as the Winter season sets in when she's forced to investigate a questionable death that becomes a murder investigation.Although the trailer hints of a supernatural film a la "The Thing," this is actually a mystery thriller with an "Ice Station Zebra" flair.Some of the plot turns are predictable and there's not enough character development, but the spectacular arctic locations and the effective filmmaking compel me to give this a decent grade.I said "arctic locations" because the film was shot in Manitoba, not Antarctica.Pay no mind do those who say this is a crappy film. If you're in the mood for a modern "Ice station Zebra" with SOME elements of "The Thing" then "Whiteout" should fill the bill. It won't blow you away or anything (except maybe for an early shot of Kate, lol) but it's a solid arctic mystery-thriller.The film runs 101 minutes.GRADE: B-