Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A worthy follow up to Memento
Insomnia, director Chris Nolan's second full length feature, doesn't have the same gut-wrenching and mind-bending plot twists that his feature length debut, Memento, had, but does an excellent job telling an original and gripping detective mystery.The pleasure of Insomnia is to be found in its rich cinematography, beautiful landscapes, and excellent performances. The movie is one of the most visually compelling pieces of filmmaking I have seen in years, creating surreal juxtapositions with the vast, harsh Alaskan landscape and with close-up shots of crime scene evidence. The amazing visual landscapes (both large and small) are used effectively by director Nolan to emphasize the films themes of isolation and overpowerment, of losing oneself within ones environment and in ones choices. Insomnia's plot will disappoint those looking for a new Memento, in that it does not have the sort of turns of action and motivation that Memento does. Insomnia works well without elaborate plot twists, however, it's mood benefits from a certain lack of ambiguity of action, although the ending is perhaps a little to predictable and cliched. Insomnia would have benefited, however, from more ambiguity of motivation - while the acting is top notch, especially on the part of Robin Williams, the connections between the characters actions and their motivations and decisions is too closely drawn by the script. Overall Insomnia is an excellent movie, and a good entry into the detective/suspense movie cannon. It suffers slightly from a couple of bad edits (in a movie filled with amazing editing and shooting) and from its desire to clearly spell out the principle characters motivations, but these minor flaws are more than redeemed by the director's excellent camerawork and sense of pacing, a strong script, and very solid acting performances. Insomnia is a must see movie, and a welcome change from the "blockbuster" summer movie scene of 2002.
Rating: - Compare & Contrast.
Insomnia will do no harm to the reputations of the people involved in its making. Chris Nolan continues to perfect his skills as a filmaker, Al Pacino gives us another great performance, Robin Williams manages the near super-human task of suppressing his Robin Williamsness (i.e. manic comic genius),and gives a thoughtful and spot-on character performance, and Hillary Swank does nicely in a supporting role. The thriller is taut and complex and takes place in a new and interesting setting.Too bad there was an original movie of Insomnia, that takes place in Norway, that has much of the same elements but also some great differences. If one has seen both, the comparisons & contrasts are impossible to avoid. Al Pacino gives a terrific performance as the bleary-eyed sleepless detective, but Stellan Skarsgard in the Norwegian version is no slouch at acting either. I won't go into detail on the changes and diversions in both films. I recommend that movie buffs see both, as they are different films, despite sharing relatively the same story. I find the European version is more enigmatic, not drawn in bold black and whites, and with a feeling of life's quixotic accidents. The central crime/cover-up by the detective is motiveless in the Norwegian version, in the American film there is an added subtext that either deepens or makes simpler the detective's actions, depending upon your point of view. The byplay between the murderer and the detective is more complex in the American, and more subtle and less defined in the European. Pacino is a man with troubles, Skarsgard is a troubled man. But finally, the big difference is in the ending. I was disappointed that the American version opted to end everything in a typically American fashion, with a bullet, and all strands wrapped up in a bow. The American film is inexorable and predestined, the Norwegian film more open to happenstance and accident. The European version leaves the end enigmatically unresolved. I won't say which is best. That, each viewer will have to decide for themselves. Both versions are well worth your interest.
Rating: - Fast Awake
Director Christopher Nolan's remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name, INSOMNIA, is a good thriller. LAPD detectives Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and his partner, Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are invited to the Alaska town of Nightmute, to help solve a brutal murder. The 2 detectives are assisted by local cop Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), who thinks of Dormer as her mentor, because she has followed his career so closely. The investigation is hampered by Dormer's inability to get any sleep because the sun never sets in Nightmute, at the time of year, the film takes place. When a town writer (Robin Williams) becomes a suspect in the killing, Dormer must find a way to prove it before guilt over the outcome of another case overtakes him. The line between what is real and what is not drives the film to an unexpected climax. As Nolan's first linear film, INSOMNIA works because of Pacino's performance. He really sells the story. Swank is solid here too, while Williams is just ok, he never really pulls it off, opposite Pacino. At times he seems out of step, which furthers my contention that, all the fuss some folks make about how great he is as an actor, is unwarranted. Nolan is a great director though, so I can forgive the one casting flaw. The tension and atmosphere that is created in the film is almost palpable. As Pacino gets ever closer to the edge, from sleep deprevation, you really get lost in the story. Never far from the non-linear device that put him on the map, Nolan's audio commentary track follows the film's shooting schedule, instead of the finished product. By doing this, the track offers rare insight into how films are made, and why most of them are shot out of sequence. The 2nd commentary features Swank and various crew (recorded separately) talking about their take on the film. Both tracks are well done. The making of featurette is pretty standard stuff. Next up is a coversation between Nolan and Pacino about the film and acting/drecting in general. The extras also include a feature on cinematography and production design, and a look a real life insomniacs and what they have to deal with every day. A still gallery, the theatrical trailer, film highlights from the cast and crew, and some DVD-ROM material for the PC round out the extra features. The film comes on DVD in separate widescreen or full screen viewing formats. Personally, I recommend buyng or renting the widescreen version, but either way, the DVD is recommended
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