Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: one of the best thrillers i've seen
Review: One thing that puts this a notch above other thrillers is the utterly convincing moral struggle of the Pacino character. You can really imagine that if you were in his place you might do the same things--including making the same mistakes. If you like stories where a character tells one little lie and it leads to lots of bigger lies until you no longer seem to have the option of telling the truth, this is for you.

Moreover it has spine-tingling suspense, a fascinating setting, and excellent acting.

Rating:
Summary: Robin Williams as the Villain
Review: I loved Robin as the villain. He was so convincing as the murderous suspect. I just loved Al and Hilary, too. It was so thrilling and freaked me out.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Good!
Review: Al Pacino is one of my favorite actors, but I'm a bit turned off by Hollywood these days so I don't watch too many films, even when he's starring. But with nothing else to do on a 14-hour business-class flight from Chicago to Tokyo, I decided I might as well give it a try. If it bored me, I could always turn the channel to the satellite view of the airplane's flight path. I was happy to see the film's setting was one of my favorite places on earth--Alaska. But I was also nervous. Would Hollywood do a hatchet job on small town Alaska as it does the rest of small town America? To my surprise, "Insomnia" was a realistic portrayal of small town Alaskan life. It shows that even in Alaska, there are modern, state-of-the-art police technology, and people have cars and them thar real big picture box contraptions. Wow! Did the scriptwriter actually leave his mansion and notice a world beyond the Santa Monica hills? Al Pacino plays a Los Angeles detective who arrives in Alaska to help with a local murder investigation. His performance, as expected, is intense. As it turns out, he volunteered for the Alaska assignment to escape controversy in Los Angeles. Although his character is flawed, I found myself rooting for him to overcome those flaws. The murder mystery intensifies as does the mystery surrounding Pacino's character. The local police trust his judgment, but they sense something just isn't quite right with him, especially one police woman who is suspicious of his motives. What happened back in Los Angeles? The action is suspenseful, the setting inspiring. I highly reccommend this film for people who enjoy Al Pacino, police suspense and Alaska scenery.

Rating:
Summary: A unique game of cat and mouse
Review: A unique thriller, with Al Pacino in top form. The cinematography is excellent (beautiful shots of an Alaskan town, where it stays bright for up to 22 hours a day during summer). Robin Williams is surprisingly good, suitably cast against type and it is refreshing to see him as a bad-guy/psycho for once. Hilary Swank is as always top-notch, though perhaps somewhat under used, as the script has a tendency to misplace her, and really doesn't give her enough to do: a fine actress such as Ms Swank should be used more than this. Meanwhile, Maura Tierney and Martin Donovan offer fine support, making the most of their tiny but pivotal roles.

The depiction of Pacino's character is finely done, and his increasing insomnia is played out in a very believable way. The interesting twist of having him shooting his partner, and we're not sure if he did it on purpose or not, is cool: it keeps you guessing, and is unnerving because you're not sure if you can believe in the hero or not.

The cat and mouse game with him and Williams, with the latter knowing Pacino's secret and hence the cover up, is very suspenseful; add to that Swank's character closing in on the truth, and it becomes almost unbearably edge-of-the-seat at times.

A relatively unremarkable plot is brought to life in a unique way, with a fine intense script (that unfortunately does sideline other characters, and doesn't offer much in the way of characterization). A fine thriller all told, also sporting tight direction, along with some beautiful filming.

Recommended.


Rating:
Summary: Great Film
Review: This is definitely one of the most powerful films I've ever seen. The story is basically a remake of a classic foreign film, where a detective is trying to solve a murder case in a small town that never gets dark. After having trouble sleeping for days, the detective soon finds himself caught in a world of confusion and lies. Al Pacino and Robin Williams deliver very captivating performances in this film, so it's no wonder why this film did so well. This film is probably one of the deepest films ever made going over powerful themes like lust or love, justice or injustice, truth or perception that are often questioned throughout the film. And it somehow works, to where the film manages to blur the perception of right or wrong to the point where the audience can't tell the difference. Overall, this is definitely another great film by two of Hollywood's finest actors.

Rating:
Summary: Avoid The Reviews That Reveal The Plot - Read This Instead
Review: What a great film.. Cinematography is excellent, script award winning, and Pacino....does he ever act anything less than incredible?......I don't recall seeing one of his films that wasn't spellbinding.....this time there is a good cast that acts to the high standard Pacino sets. Hillary Swank is especially good as a star-struck admirer of Pacino's Dormer character. Robin Williams does a good job too (too many people seem to expect him to be capable of drama at Pacino's level....he's not.....it's not his strength....but he capably carries his weight in a film where he would be quickly shown the door if he couldn't keep up).

The psychology is set in the framework of sleep deprivation (due to the near 24 hr daylight in the Alaskan town where it is set), so Pacino has a great plot from which to explore....which he does to maximum effect. This film is well worth the time to see.

Rating:
Summary: Williams makes a great movie villian
Review: I never expected Robin Williams to be so good as the villian in this picture. In this one we see early on that he plays a cat and mouse game with Pacino. Pacino's character accedently kills his partner while he's chasing Williams. He knows this and never lets him forget it thoughout the movie. All in all it's a movie you can watch again because the characers in it are so interesting. So if you bought this one in the budget bin like I did you won't be sorry for the money you spent for it. There is lots of good dialogue and character bits here. For Hitchcock fans (who remember him) ...it is in the tradition of his films because you don't know what to expect.

Rating:
Summary: NOT ONE OF AL PACINO'S BETTER MOVIES
Review: AN LA DETECTIVE [AL PACINO] GOES TO ALASKA TO INVESTIGATE A TEENAGE GIRL'S MURDER. SOON, HE FINDS OUT THAT THE KILLER IS A DERANGED WRITER [ROBIN WILLIAMS] WHO BEGINS PLAYING MIND GAMES WITH HIM. THIS AMERICANIZED REMAKE OF THE 1997 SWEDISH DRAMA [I NEVER SAW THE ORIGINAL] HAS SUSPENSE AND PLENTY OF GOOD TWISTS, BUT IT JUST LACKS SOMETHING IN THE LONG RUN. IT MAKES A GOOD SUSPENSE MOVIE FOR SUSPENSE FANS. I WONDER WHAT THE ORIGINAL INSOMNIA WAS LIKE.