This unusual crime story blending drama and comedy aims for a darkly humorous tone but occasionally feels forced. The film centers on an Alaskan travel agency owner—played by Robin Williams—who is struggling financially while deeply devoted to his wife, who has Tourette’s Syndrome (Holly Hunter). When he unexpectedly discovers a frozen body, he concocts a risky plan that quickly puts him under the intense scrutiny of a dedicated insurance investigator (Giovanni Ribisi). Alison Lohman portrays the investigator's girlfriend, and Woody Harrelson takes on the role of the protagonist’s unpredictable brother. Tim Blake Nelson and W. Earl Brown also appear as somewhat inept aspiring criminals. "The Big White," released in 2005, shares some similarities with "Fargo" from 1996, but it leans further into eccentricity and comedy. It's akin to “A Simple Plan” (1998) or “Sugar Mountain” (2016), if those films had a quirky, black comedic sensibility. While the cast is certainly appealing and the movie proves diverting for what it sets out to be—struggling to reconcile unpleasantness with decency—it occasionally strains to cultivate its distinctive style, which I think is preferable to being bland. The film’s settings and visuals are impressive, Lohman is lovely, and the musical score stands out as particularly well done. The movie has a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes and was filmed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Whitehorse, Yukon. Many of the exterior scenes and cinematography were captured at the summit of the White Pass along the border between Alaska and British Columbia, near Skagway. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB