Rating: 
Summary: Insomnia
Review: "Insomnia" by Erik Skjoldbjærg is a classic crime thriller. The death, the search, the chase, the mystery, and finally, the solution - all elements of a thriller are in place. However, the atmosphere in the film is devoid of suspense. In fact, the film has every characteristic of a psychological movie, with the emphasis put on the police inspector, who has trouble dealing with reality. Swedish sleuth joins Norwegian police force in the far north, where in the summer the nights are short, and he finds it difficult to sleep. His emotional struggle, the insomnia, the claustrophobic feeling, and the mystery he has to deal with, the strange people around - all of this creates one big headache for the sleuth, and is portrayed in the film with mighty visual effects. Speaking of which, I must admit that the photography was excellent, the picture clear and crisp, full of light reflecting the shine of the far north. It's one of those movies what look extraordinary on the DVD, while you have an impression that the picture is fully digital. I guess that "Insomnia" might leave some viewers bewildered, but this is to be expected, although it's a film that fits into the thriller genre quite well. It's a very welcome deviation from the Hollywood kitsch, where one film is a copy of another - on average.
Rating:
Summary: Insomnia
Review: "Insomnia" by Erik Skjoldbjærg is a classic crime thriller. The death, the search, the chase, the mystery, and finally, the solution - all elements of a thriller are in place. However, the atmosphere in the film is devoid of suspense. In fact, the film has every characteristic of a psychological movie, with the emphasis put on the police inspector, who has trouble dealing with reality. Swedish sleuth joins Norwegian police force in the far north, where in the summer the nights are short, and he finds it difficult to sleep. His emotional struggle, the insomnia, the claustrophobic feeling, and the mystery he has to deal with, the strange people around - all of this creates one big headache for the sleuth, and is portrayed in the film with mighty visual effects. Speaking of which, I must admit that the photography was excellent, the picture clear and crisp, full of light reflecting the shine of the far north. It's one of those movies what look extraordinary on the DVD, while you have an impression that the picture is fully digital. I guess that "Insomnia" might leave some viewers bewildered, but this is to be expected, although it's a film that fits into the thriller genre quite well. It's a very welcome deviation from the Hollywood kitsch, where one film is a copy of another - on average.
Rating: 
Summary: More a 'film blanc' than a film noir.
Review: 'Insomnia' announces itself as yet another 'Se7en' clone, with its brutal opening murder, as lovingly detailed and dehumanised in its execution as Kevin Spacey's handcraft at the beginning of Fincher's film; and in its nervy, scratchy credits sequence. But, while it only became apparent near the end that 'Se7en' was really about the detectives rather than the killer, this film is a relentless study of a morally void cop. In his first scene, we see Jonas scribbling over the victim's face; and a blunder in the early stages of the investigation finds him covering up the truth about the murder, rather than trying to reveal it, leading to an unholy pact with the killer. This perversion of the detective's traditional role is visualised in two related ways. Firstly, the enlightenment the detective should bring, but here suppresses, is displaced onto the 24-hour bleaching sunlight of the Northern Norwegian coastal town in which the film is set. A Swede in a hostile environment, and already guilty of abusing his position with sexual misdemeanours, Jonas tries to block out this light which prevents him from sleeping. Lack of sleep begins to effect not only his morality, but his judgement - he gropes a teenage witness; he spies on her making love to the young sap he is going to frame; he nearly rapes the hotel receptionist he lusts after. The film's rhythms and visuals take on the character of this psychological breakdown - the pace decelerates, becomes bleary and dream-like; the narrative fragments, heightened by the hallucinatory and visionary; the clinical white that seeps the frame blocks out all depth and perspective, leaving everything flat and on the surface. Allied to this sun, which is too bright to shed any light, is the dusky, enveloping fog, wastes of garbage and delapidated buildings with their subterranean passages destroying any chance of truth and resolution emerging. It is a tribute to Stellan Skarsgard's brave, controlled performance as a nasty, gutless, uncontrolled psychotic, that it is at all possible to watch this unpleasant but compelling film to the end.
Rating:
Summary: A Film Noir in Broad Daylight: Gripping Thriller from Norway
Review: A dead body of brutally killed teenage girl was found, and her body, it becomes clear soon, is washed carefully all over. An ace detective is sent to the crime scene to invesigate this unusual case with his partner, but the invesigation gets more complex when Jonas, the detective, takes one wrong step in doing his job. And the killer seems to know his fatal mistake. The original "Insomnia" made in Norway and directed by Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg, is no "Se7en"-like thriller. And it is also different from the remake by Christopher Nolan in its overall tone. The original gives colder and more sinisier feeling behind the cool mask of the detecive, which is gradually enhanced by the never-ending, dazzling daylight around the North Pole that goes on around the clock. Like any good noir, the film offers many surprises in the story, making the protagonist cross over the thin line between good and evil. Sorry that I cannot tell you much, but I can say that the acting of Stellan Skarsgard, who tends to be typecast in Hollywood films (see "Deep Blue Sea" or "Ronin" -- though I like films themselves), is nothing but compelling and stunning. A bit more subdued than Al Pacino, he delivers a chilling portrait of detective Jonas, who slowly gets unsure of what he is doing under the broad daylight. As a film fan, you may enjoy the difference of the two scripts, this one and that of Nolan's "Insonmia." (Don't worry, this is no spoiler.) I do not judge which is better -- the verdict is very hard to give as both are so good. But I can point out that Nolan gets his film more complex, giving more room for the role of a female local cop (which Hilary Swank played in the remake), partly because of Nolan's penchant for storytelling. Actually, I was surprised to find out that Norwegian "Insomnia" is about 30 minutes shorter than Hollywood remake. And see also the different treatment of some key scenes (especially a dog, and the conclusion of the case), which may reflect the present political climate in USA. If you haven't seen Al Pacino remake, do not worry. If you like noir genre, this is the one for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Film Noir in Broad Daylight: Gripping Thriller from Norway
Review: A dead body of brutally killed teenage girl was found, and her body, it becomes clear soon, is washed carefully all over. An ace detective is sent to the crime scene to invesigate this unusual case with his partner, but the invesigation gets more complex when Jonas, the detective, takes one wrong step in doing his job. And the killer seems to know his fatal mistake. The original "Insomnia" made in Norway and directed by Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg, is no "Se7en"-like thriller. And it is also different from the remake by Christopher Nolan in its overall tone. The original gives colder and more sinisier feeling behind the cool mask of the detecive, which is gradually enhanced by the never-ending, dazzling daylight around the North Pole that goes on around the clock. Like any good noir, the film offers many surprises in the story, making the protagonist cross over the thin line between good and evil. Sorry that I cannot tell you much, but I can say that the acting of Stellan Skarsgard, who tends to be typecast in Hollywood films (see "Deep Blue Sea" or "Ronin" -- though I like films themselves), is nothing but compelling and stunning. A bit more subdued than Al Pacino, he delivers a chilling portrait of detective Jonas, who slowly gets unsure of what he is doing under the broad daylight. As a film fan, you may enjoy the difference of the two scripts, this one and that of Nolan's "Insonmia." (Don't worry, this is no spoiler.) I do not judge which is better -- the verdict is very hard to give as both are so good. But I can point out that Nolan gets his film more complex, giving more room for the role of a female local cop (which Hilary Swank played in the remake), partly because of Nolan's penchant for storytelling. Actually, I was surprised to find out that Norwegian "Insomnia" is about 30 minutes shorter than Hollywood remake. And see also the different treatment of some key scenes (especially a dog, and the conclusion of the case), which may reflect the present political climate in USA. If you haven't seen Al Pacino remake, do not worry. If you like noir genre, this is the one for you.
Rating:
Summary: What's the problem in New Jersey?
Review: A viewer from New Jersey wrote: >This movie is totally unbelievable. I don't >understand the premise and the actors act like >they are foreigners. Which part of this not being your average run-of-the-mill Hollywood film did this guy not get? Of course the actors "act like they are foreigners" as they ARE, at least from a US point of view! Silly man. Anyway, brilliant Norwegian film with some excellent acting as well as a great story. Highly recommended, and definately an alternative.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good
Review: an amazing looking film. beautifully shot. wonderfully acted. really superb. although i had hoped for (and expected) a little more... maybe the story just lacked a bit
Rating:
Summary: Insomnia...A great Sleeper!
Review: Another excellent example that Americans weaned on Hollywood trash are really missing out on some fine cinema. This psychological thriller by first time director Skjoldbjaerg will leave you in high anticipation for his next release (and it can't come too soon). The storyline of this film is merely a foundation for the more important character study on the psychological decomposition of a man caught in a lie and unable to escape the truth (the midnight sun?). The cinematography has a minimalist, stark beauty to it, but with a contemporary edge. Some of the interior scenes are reminiscent of an Edward Hopper painting, which subtly reinforce the protagonists cool detachment from his environment. If you like well constructed, intelligent, artistic movies without the hollywood pyrotechnics, check this movie out. You won't be disappointed Overall, the DVD quality is excellent for sound and picture, except for one scene where digital artifacts flash across the screen (this may be just on my copy).
Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUING from the very beginning
Review: At least one other reviewer of this film bought it without knowing much about it except that it appears on the Criterion Collection. An interesting thing happened to me, the day before I watched Insomnia, I watched Deep Blue Sea (which is unimpressive and overall typical hollywood cheese) but the first guy to get bitten by a shark is Stellan Skarsgard. At the time I didn't know who he was, but when I put Insomnia in my DVD player I recognized the face and became instantly intrigued with the familiar face. I enjoyed his performance as the detective whose "mistake" eventually leads him down a spiral of deceit, conspiracy, and betrayal. Skarsgard had just the right demeanor for the role of the tortured detective, and he kept me interested in the outcome (which came as a surprise in many ways). Philosophy students would enjoy this film since it is a study of ethics and morality. I noticed a couple of cleverly disguised homo-erotic motifs... see if you can find them. It thought it a rather intelligent film, which I must say, it is always refreshing. Especially when you see the garbage hollywood puts out. I hope that films like Insomnia do well because maybe then the suits in hollywood would start feeling shamed into making quality films.
Rating:
Summary: TURN UP THE BASS
Review: awesome movie to watch latenight. It was also nice to see a movie with no explosions. I would have given it 4 1/2 stars if I could, but to avoid confusion the movie is definitely worth owning if you like to have cool weird movies that you can't find at the video store
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