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Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Cat and Mouse
Review: This fast paced thriller showcases the dark side of Robin Williams, whose sterling performance makes this movie come to life. It's interesting to note that many comedians seem to exhibit tremendous depth in their ability to portray a wide variety of characters. (Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey) Robin Williams is no exception. Hillary Swank showcases a multitude of talent as well, portraying a novice cop to offset Al Pacino's jaded persona.
If you've yet to travel to Alaska, the scenery will prompt you to give your travel agent a call.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great movie
Review: Great movie -- one of the best that I have seen in a long time.
If you like Al Pacino and Robin Williams you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Insomnia better than Memento
Review: I've seen reviews comparing Insomnia and Memento but there's no comparision because Memento didn't have Al Pacino. Memento is a good mystery but the main character doesn't draw the audience in and involve them in the story as Pacino always does. Insomnia has Pacino, great scenery, great supporting actors and is a chilling mystery. Pacino plays a cop, Will Dormer, plagued with insomnia while investigating the murder of a teenage girl. After the death of his partner, he slowly becomes unraveled from guilt and lack of sleep. He sees his dead partner and slight noises are magnified to unbearable levels. The killer, played by Robin Williams, knows the circumstances surrounding the death of Dormer's partner and starts calling him late at night, thinking they can help each other. Robin Williams does a good job portraying the killer and is very believable. Hilary Swank plays an impressionable young cop eager to learn and is very good in her role also. The film has lots of action and suspense and is well worth the price of the ticket. With Insomnia, Pacino makes a 3 star script into a 5 star movie by his talent, screen presence and incomparable ability to involve an audience.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SUPERB! A SUSPENSEFUL THRILLER! I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!
Review: When I first walked into the theater, I didn't know what to expect even though I hadn't seen a bad review yet. But that was the problem, it felt like the movie could brake down right in front of me, but I can tell you that "INSOMNIA" surpassed its reputation and Christopher Nolan was magnificant! By the first 20 minutes, "INSOMNIA" was already creeping up my Top Ten List. I had never been so intrigued by such a diverse and complex plot before. The great thing is that the movie is entirely fixed on Will Dormer(Al Pacino), who is an L.A. detective brought to Nightmute, Alaska,a place where the sun never goes down, to study a murder case. You are never a step ahead or behind him. You find all the clues he finds at the same time he does. You also sometimes even know what he is thinking, this happens when the film flashbacks to earlier scenes in the movie or scenes beyond the movie.
Pacino does an excellent job with his character and he developes it so well I almost believed I could meet Will Dormer. And as the film progesses you have more insight on his emotions even more because of the lack of sleep. Also you even develope sympathy for Finch(Robin Williams), the murderer who Will is investigating on.
The only thing else I can say is don't wait for it on DVD, see it in the theater, it's much better that way, but if you don't take my advice, it would still be worth the wait.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Another Score For Christopher Nolan!
Review: Insomnia, Christopher Nolan's follow-up to the ingenius Memento, is a great film that is one of the best so far, going up the list along with such other movies as Changing Lanes and Frailty. I have seen reviews criticizing this movie only because it is not as great, original, or memorably haunting as Memento was. I do agree with that, but you must realize that Nolan was not trying to top that because he knew that if he tried, he would fail. This was his first official big budget Hollywood movie and we must recognize this.

That aside, Insomnia is a movie about cop Will Dormer (Al Pacino - Oscar Worthy) and his partner Hap (Martin Donovan) who travel to a small Alaskan town called Nightmute to investigate the murder of a high school girl. These two act like real partners and have great chemistry. There, they meet a local cop (Hilary Swank) that pratically worships every case Dormer investigates and solves. They work together to try and catch the killer through many methods, and one of these leads to a breathtaking chase scene through the fog, in which Dormer does something that he lies about and haunts him through the entire movie. That's when Walter Finch (Robin Williams - Oscar Worthy) shows up. He calls Dormer and talks to him about him killing the girl, which eventually leads to their meeting on a ferry. This is when the movie reaches one of its definite high points. The chemistry between Williams and Pacion is something I could never possibly put into words. The screen is filled with brains when their characters mess with each other, and you'll be looking forward to their next meeting. The plot from that point is Dormer trying to get Finch convicted of the crime before he could possibly strike again, even though he says the murder was an accident, with Swank's character getting closer to the truth of what happened in the woods during the fog scene. All of this leads up to a great climax between the three main characters at Finch's summer house.

The film includes great supporting roles from Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt, Paul Dooley, and Jonathan Jackson. I recommend everyone to see this movie at one point or another. I can't for it to come out on DVD and see if it'll rack up any of the Oscar nominations it deserves.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring,boring boring !!!!!!
Review: If you are interested in watching someone in Alaska trying to cover-up a window because he can't sleep while the sun shines. This is a picture for you. Great acting with a script that should have been torn up and thrown away from page one. There was never any action, intregue, or anything. JUst boring!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Insomnia is a fun thrill ride!
Review: A slick , cool , thrilling , susprising , shocking , well - acted, great suspense crime film from Memento director Christopher Nolan. The story is about a cop , Detective Dormer (Al Pacino) and his partner Detective Eckhart (Martin Donovan) who get sent to Alaska to solve a crime commited by creepy and insane novel writer Walter Finch (Robin Williams). Even with the help of a young Alaska female cop (Hilary Swank) and her partner (Nicky Katt) , this is going to be a hard and an unrestful case to crack for Detective Dormer , hence the title "Insomnia". Not as wonderful as Memento , but hardly anything is. Starring: Al Pacino , Robin Williams , Hilary Swank , Maura Tierney , Martin Donovan , Nicky Katt and Paul Dooley...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Christopher Nolan Wins Again
Review: Nolan's followup to the genius of "Memento" does not try to top that film in the sense that "Insomnia" doesn't have any backwards time framing or disappearing polaroids. That's not to say that "Insomnia" is an average murder mystery- there's plenty of unconvential moods in the story. Taking place in Alaska, Detective Dormer (Al Pacino) is called up from L.A. to help in a case about the murder of a teenage girl. That's already been said, and really, that's about all the plot that you should give away, but I can say that its much less a mystery as it is a construction of it, and that's what keeps the movie interesting. Al Pacino gives his best performance in years, playing his roll as a torn-apart cop dealing with insomnia (hence the title) in Alaska's 24-hour daylight. He doesn't underplay his role, and puts the right amount of emotion into his character's setting. If there was one thing to crtisize about "Memento," it was that often times it seemed cold and numb- you couldn't really connect to the characters. That is gone in "Insomnia," and both Al Pacino and Robin Williams both deliver the goods. Williams once again flexes his ability to be more than a slap-happy comedic actor (as we've seen in "Dead Poets' Society" and "Good Will Hunting"). He's perfectly spooky as the disturbed, supposed killer. Hillary Swank and Nicky Katt also deliver notable performances. I have a feeling it will be remembered at the Oscars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Flick
Review: I loved it. . . My Wife says it was slow. . but that's because she was way tired, and Pacino's Insomnia made it seem like we're tired too. THAT GOOD. . Williams was a great villian. . loveable at first, then sick and demented and definately evil.

THE ONLY PROBLEM. . Being a Mr. Finch I hated that the evil guy was a "FINCH" ICK. . but that's only draw-back. . the plot moved VERY intensely and I thought it was gripping, amazingly intriguing and a moral dilema! GREAT FLICK. . only thing that's not a 5 star. . is the last name (laugh) and it was a little slow. . but is still a must see!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: REVISITED.........
Review: Sorry, I still can't understand the fuss about this REMAKE, or is it a re-imagining? Slightly like "The Emperor's New Clothes" isn't it? Yes, apart from the great Alaskan scenery. it remains somewhat bland. Very obviously a star vehicle - perhaps shades of King Lear or something earlier thrown in - let's face it - the final act is positively Grecian in concept!

AND that pounding soundtrack - that enough kept Pacino awake!

ANOTHER ODD NOTE - the camera angles - 'set-ups' etc. are so similar to the original version. Where's the originality of this version?

AND, yes, yes, yes, Hilary Swank is excellent as Ellie Burr, but that's about it!

Now, let's get on with our lives in Tinseltown - and stop with the "remakes' or 'artistic re-imaginings' - OK?


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