The Frozen Ground - An understated, no-frills cop movie

Do you like cop films that are filled with tension, plenty of explosive car chases, blazing shoot-outs and finally the hero lawman confronting the evil serial killer on top of a highrise block of flats? If the answer is `yes' then you probably won't like `The Frozen Ground.'

It's based on a true account of the police's attempt to apprehend a serial killer in Alaska in the early eighties. And, basically, it's a lot more `real' than your average cop vs serial killer film. Nicholas Cage plays the cop and he spends much of the film interviewing witnesses, sitting behind a desk and trying to persuade judges that John Cussack is their man.

It's hardly a thrill-seeking rollercoaster of a story, but, if you're in the mood for something a little more realistic then you might enjoy this. All the performances are good and the cold, foreboding Alaskan setting adds a nice eerie ambience. You could almost look at it as more of a documentary than a thriller, so, if a low-key crime drama is what you're looking for then give this one a go.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that