Insomnia

Christopher Nolan, USA, 2002, 118 minutes

A remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller, Insomnia was initially brought to the world’s attention as the director of Memento’s second film. This was, of course, incorrect. Insomnia was Christopher Nolan’s third film with the first being an extremely low budget work of genius called Following. But yes, the new whiz kid of British cinema has gone Hollywood. I mean, a decent sized budget film starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams? He must have sold out. But thank God, that too is incorrect, as Insomnia proved to be more than the average run of the mill Hollywood remake.

Set in the uneventful, creepily named, bleak landscaped Alaskan town of Nightmute (where there is perpetual daylight for 6 kmonths and constant darkness for the other 6) a young girl has been brutally beaten to death, and LA detective Will Dormir (Pacino) is brought in to investigate. Sounds a bit like Twin Peaks you might think. But have no fear, dwarves and red curtains are nowhere to be seen. Not so much a whodunnit as it is revealed pretty early in the film, but more of an exploration of the moral ambiguity of a seasoned police hero, Dormir (Pacino in a captivating performance) and his psychological cat and mouse game with the murderer, Finch (Robin Williams).

Nolan’s direction brings an element of intelligence to what is essentially a Hollywood movie whilst the three Oscar winning leads add a certain je ne sais quoi to a “cop thriller”. Pacino is utterly convincing as a weathered cop, plagued by his conscience, and kept awake by the harsh Alaskan light. The role of Finch calls for a highly restrained performance which Williams delivers very well; the film however concentrates on the character of Dormir leaving Williams with little room to shine. Insomnia is beautifully shot, brilliantly acted and is easily one of the best films of 2002.

Review by Steph Wright
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2003