Insomnia

As said in my reviews for his masterpiece 'Memento' and the fascinating 'The Prestige', Christopher Nolan has always struck me as a very talented film-maker, and most of his films are ones that have impressed me a lot. Even weaker efforts, where his ambition can get in the way, have a good deal to admire. His films are all impeccably crafted technically, and often entertaining and thought-provoking, also knowing how to get good performances out of talented casts.

'Insomnia' is not one of Nolan's best films, but not his worst. For me it's somewhere in the middle if ranking his films, 'Memento' being his best and, while with a lot of impressive elements, 'Interstellar' being the one that impressed least. It shows fidelity to the Norwegian original, but doesn't go so far that it's a pale retread, in a way that is summed up very well by Roger Ebert.

Nolan directs with impeccable style and sense of atmosphere, as well as an ability to tell a potentially convoluted story with clarity without resorting to excess and over-ambition. Much of 'Insomnia' is exceptionally well made, while beautiful Alaska has rarely been more oppressive as well while the cinematography has grit and class. David Julyan's music score is not quite as complex as that for 'Memento', but has a very effective eeriness.

The script is tight and thoughtful, and the story, filled with neat twists and turns, is hugely compelling and atmospheric, never being too simple but complex enough to still be understandable and be respectful to the viewer. The cat and mouse stuff could have been predictable and convoluted but executed in masterly hair-raising but also quiet tension.

Performances are all strong across the board. While underused somewhat, Martin Donovan and especially Hilary Swank are great here. It is however Al Pacino and Robin Williams who are even better. Pacino gives perhaps his best performance since 'Heat' and he has to me definitely not been on this amount of blistering form as he is in 'Insomnia'. Williams is cast against type, and he plays a genuinely terrifying character with menace but also dignity and restraint.

Flaws are only a couple, with the film ending too conveniently and some of the editing being a touch too jumpy.

All in all, a gripping film and hardly a sleeper. 8/10 Bethany Cox

I used to think that nobody could come close to Robert De Niro when it comes to who was the best actor in Hollywood but as the years went by he started to pick some real Turkeys and a in the mean while an old hand was gradually taking the crown from De Niro and that is Al Pacino. In Insomnia he has picked another cracker of a film that although not fast paced is brilliantly acted and is very watchable. Hilary Swank is superb as is Robin Williams and its refreshing to see him taking a serious role instead of sentimental trash like Patch Adams but as per usual it is Al Pacino who steals the show. He plays an insomniac Cop who gets intangled in a murder case and gets into trouble after accidently killing his partner . I cant think of an actor who looks more tired than Pacino anyway so he was perfect for the role. The story is OK but to be honest the film is more about the performances than the plot. 8 out of 10

INSOMNIA is not only the third film of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan (his first two were FOLLOWINGS and MEMENTO), but also a film that is able to intertwine the acting talents of three Academy Award winners. Al Pacino plays a celebrated cop who is asked to work on the case of a murdered girl in Alaska. Hilary Swank plays the local law enforcement who has her eyes on making a big case. Robin Williams plays a troubled Alaskan writer. Without giving anything away, INSOMNIA is definitely worth it. Some may see it, and be disappointed. One way to steer away from this failure is think of INSOMNIA as a psychological thriller rather than a "Shoot 'em up" thriller. INSOMNIA is story about loyalty and human emotion. Don't get me wrong, the movie is thrill-packed, but let's just say--You don't need blood and gore to make the audience members be on the edge of their seats (which I was). INSOMNIA hits all of its points including acting, directing, screenwriting, and cinematography. It's a first class thriller with great characters. On a side note...Pacino is worthy of an Oscar for his performance, Williams is equally excellent, and Swank also deserves recognition for complete scope of acting. A job well done by these three actors, and especially the man behind the curtain, Christopher Nolan!

One doesn't expect to feel claustrophobic in Alaska, but that's exactly the effect when watching "Insomnia". The primary story is about the police investigation of the murder of a high-school girl in a small Alaskan town. Through the pull of old acquaintances and political necessity, two LA homicide detectives (Pacino and Martin Donovan) are dispatched to the scene to help the locals. The political necessity concerns a graft investigation in which the two LA detectives are key suspects. One is thinking of copping a plea, so they are spirited out of LA to avoid the investigative light. Then they find themselves in the 24-hour day of the Alaskan summer where the two plot lines collide; the murder investigation and the graft. And what a collision it is.

The insomnia of the title is suffered by the Pacino character, who can't sleep during the movie's 7-day span. And each day his eyes are more sunken, he's groggier, less focused. This parallels his descent into guilt, remorse, and desperation. But to provide any more details would be to give away key plot elements. "Insomnia" is gripping and it's best to see the movie cold.

The acting, especially Robin Williams as the key suspect in the child slaying, is top notch. Williams is made for these roles, he should kiss the suck-up feel-good stuff goodbye for good. The photography is excellent, Alaska never looked so ominous, and the direction delivers the goods. Highly recommended.

The film Insomnia, based on an earlier Norwegian film, is an almost winner.

By acclaimed directed Christopher Nolan, (Memento,) this is a bet that almost, but not quite, pays off, in the sense of waiting for the "other shoe to drop." It is not so much a murder mystery as it is a character study, but, as with the rest of the film, it's almost but not quite that, also.

Al Pacino is Detective Will Dormer, who has been summoned to Nightmute, Alaska by an old friend to help solve the murder of a 17-year-old girl. Pacino is a man on the verge of many things: retirement, age, and moral collapse, as we learn early on. He and his partner, Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are being investigated by Internal Affairs back in Los Angeles. On the way to Alaska, Hap informs Dormer that he intends to "cut a deal" and take whatever comes of it. This doesn't please Dormer in the slightest, and he gives the impression he'll fight the investigation, and his partner's selling-out, but fate has a different idea. Early in the investigation, Dormer accidentally shoots Hap. With his partner now dead, Dormer has nothing more to fear from IA. Or so he imagines.

Enter Walter Finch, played by Robin Williams; he is the main suspect in the murder, and has also seen the shooting of Hap, or so he informs Dormer. Now the plot will weave around these two, almost exclusively, as they play their game of manipulation and one-upmanship. And here's where the film begins to lose its own compass.

First, I had a bit of a problem with the fact that the two detectives from L.A. were in Alaska to begin with. Supposedly, this is an official trip, but I have trouble believing that the Los Angeles Police Dept would send two of its people to Alaska for such a mundane reason. Yes, it's murder, but the ease with which these two solve the case and pinpoint the murderer is just so fast that it's hard to believe the Alaskans couldn't have done the same, and done it sooner. Second, the character of Ellie Burr, (Hilary Swank) who has made a study of Detective Dormer's work for her academy thesis, is just a little too worshipful. And what a coincidence that she should be there in Nightmute, involved in this case. It's a little too contrived, in my opinion. Hilary Swank, a wonderful actress, is overqualified for the wide-eyed wonderment she portrays here. There's not enough depth in her character to hold your interest.

Third, we never really get a chance to pick apart Finch, Robin Williams' character. We only know a little about him, but nothing essential, and nothing that adds to our understanding of why he committed this foul deed in the first place, or what is driving him to do what he does. We come into this situation, "in the middle" and leave it pretty much the same way when the movie ends. There's a solution, but no enlightenment.

There are two other interesting characters that also tease us into wanting to know more, but never give up any information beyond that: the hotel desk clerk, played by Maura Tierney, and Police Chief Nyback, played by Paul Dooley, are both characters I would have liked to see developed into "whole" people. Especially Tierney's character, who says one of the most fascinating lines in the film, something about how people in Alaska are either born there or are there because they've escaped something a lot worse. With a lead-in like that, it was a shame not to follow up on it.

Mostly, we are treated (?) to extreme closeups of Pacino as he spirals down into his insomniac, ethical black-hole, and teasers of the menace Robin Williams might actually be hiding underneath that parka. In neither case is it enough, or satisfying, and as the film winds down into its inevitable conclusion, we are left with a hollow feeling that we just didn't get enough. We can draw conclusions, but they are not the point; the point is what makes these things happen in the first place, and that's a question that goes unanswered.

Additionally, there are some recurring cut-scenes of the murder itself, which are never explained or illuminated. They appear as memory flashes, but we never see them in their entirety, which is extremely annoying. Overall, the film looked as if it were originally a lot longer, and was edited down to fit its current time. If that's not the case, then it's just too minimalist to make a satisfying story.

The plot is, or could be, a very good one, with a bit more explanation. There is a lot of atmospheric buildup, but in the end, not much suspense or tension for the viewer. The characters tease us with development, never quite making us understand them, or their motives; they feel thinly painted, and shadowy. Not a tour-de-force for director Nolan, though Pacino and Williams give their parts all the nuances they can.

I left wanting more.