There really isn't a lot for me to add to what others have commented so far, at least the ones who DID like the movie...
As others have mentioned, the plot and overall story are fairly simple, but at the same time the way it is put together and the way the 2 policemen proceed through the case do indeed draw you into the film and skilfully ratchet up the suspense and tension as the story unfolds. The movie itself is well made and the acting by the two principles works well along with the tone of the film. There ARE other movies like this that I happen to like better, primarily because they were perhaps a bit more stylish and the stories were more complex and intriguing. The movies similar to this that I liked better happened to be foreign films (to me) Both are French. One is the very intriguing 'CRIMSON RIVERS' which has two cops investigating some unusual circumstances involving strange happenings and deaths surrounding a prestigious school. The other is the VERY stylish and slightly Science Fiction flavoured 'CHRYSALIS' which is a very sharp looking film that has some nice twists and turns involving memory and identity. This movie here isn't as stylish and is pretty straight-forward in the sense that they are trying to figure out what really happened to a woman in a five year old suicide case. BUT... the story IS very good and well done though...
Since this is clearly the first in what likely will be a series of films featuring these two policemen working old cases (cold cases?) it sets the stage well in letting us get to know more about them and particularly why the more unfriendly cop is the way he is. What I appreciated about this movie was that they didn't overdo the characterizations like they easily could have done. They gave the main cop just the right tone of disaffection and dourness, but they didn't try to slam you over the head with it. What I also liked about this movie was that although it did present some uncomfortable situations (well, ONE, primarily), it wisely kept those elements restrained and didn't push it like so many do nowadays so freely and quite gleefully. For THAT I am thankful because I personally do NOT at all enjoy elements in films that glorify or greatly emphasize people's sadistic cruelty to others. Just not my thing... Make no mistake though, there IS a bit of that here, but being that I don't usually care for things like that, I felt that they kept an effective balance in depicting it.
I'm thinking that future films with these two characters will likely be even better because now the stage is set and they will probably be able to do a lot more with the stories and the characters as time goes on.
I would recommend this film IF you like slow burners that are not particularly flashy, but if you like ones that DO have a pretty good palpable sense of tension and suspense as the story unfolds. If you don't expect it to be TOO detailed or complex and you can just sit back and enjoy a good Police Procedural, you should find this one pretty entertaining.
