Whiteout: A polar weather condition caused by a heavy cloud cover over the snow, which is characterized by absence of shadow, invisibility of the horizon, and discernibility of only very dark objects.
For Carrie Stetko, a whiteout is a dangerous encounter, one that she should avoid at all costs. Serving as a U.S. Marshal in Antarctica, Carrie faces some of the harshest weather conditions imaginable, entangling herself with the cold to solve some of the most obvious 'crimes.' But when a body shows up in the middle of nowhere, questions are raised and a real case begins to brew; one that forces Carrie to finally confront her past and reason for her post in the coldest spot in the world.
Starring the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale as Stetko, Whiteout had little to worry about in terms of visual appeal. Her beauty, when mixed with the serene snow landscapes of Antarctica, make every scene a visual treasure. Even the intense chase sequences, which were surprisingly well played, are shot with such beauty that it is hard not to get wrapped up in the natural backdrops that paint almost every scene.
In front of the white snow and terrain, Beckinsale gives a clean, straight forward performance as Stetko. Though rarely showing emotion, I was able to look past that fault and see the film as a story driven piece, rather than one of character importance. Stetko is the main focal point within the story; however, her history and path to self-discory is an afterthought at credits end. She never connected with me, and I never felt her pain. It thankfully didn't effect the final outcome of the film, but it should be noted that Beckinsale did nothing spectacular here - except show some skin under the cruelest of temperatures.
The supporting cast of actors do no better as Beckinsale actually proves to be the most capable of all who appear on screen. As a result, the story is left to fend for itself - a not so good thing for the film. Now don't get me wrong, the movie did have its moments: a plane crash, a snow hole, and an elusive snow-laden chase sequence. But with a perfectly forecasted ending and a mystery thriller that only skims the surface of its full potential, it takes only minutes to determine that Whiteout, while featuring a great cast, has nature as its leading star - which isn't at all its original intention.
