Rating: 
Summary: Compelling
Review: This finely wrought remake of the Norwegian film of the same name (1997)--an excellent film by the way--is something close to a thriller masterpiece flawed only by a too-hurried resolution. Christopher Nolan, whose strikingly original Memento (2000) is among the best films made in recent years, planned this out very carefully, tying up most of the loose ends without relying on any phony motivation, which we sometimes see in passionate cop dramas. However, the guns blazing at the end was a cheap way out of this psychologically complicated story. Still, I think we can overlook that small fault since the rest of the film is so very well done.The incomparable Al Pacino gives a mesmerizing performance as Los Angeles police detective Will Dormer who is sent with his partner north to Alaska ostensibly to help in a murder investigation. However we quickly learn that being out of town may help him and his partner avoid an Internal Affairs investigation to which Dormer may be vulnerable. By the way, "dormir" in French means "to sleep," which is something Dormer does not do for six days, which is very close to the edge of human tolerance. Indeed Dormer's last line in the film is "Just let me sleep." Pacino is supported by Robin Williams as Walter Finch, a morally-deranged mystery writer who doesn't appear until the film is about half over. He makes up for keeping us waiting with a dramatic performance that will curl your toes. He is even more despicable than Bjorn Floberg was in the Norwegian film. Not only is Robin Williams's appearance subtly altered and his demeanor strange, even his voice is not the same. He is a long way from Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), but I think this is, in a more modest way, one of his best performances. Also featured is Hilary Swank, whom you should see in Boys Don't Cry (1999) if you haven't, as Ellie Burr, an ingenue Alaskan detective in awe of the master cop from the big city. Notable in a modest role is Jonathan Jackson as Randy Stetz, a high schooler with a chip on his shoulder. I also liked the brief appearance by Katharine Isabelle, who played the murder girl's trampy girlfriend. The key psychological question in both films is why does Will Dormer decide to cover up the accidental shooting? In director Erik Skjoldbjaerg's 1997 film the answer is human nature. That certainly worked, but was not enough for Nolan, and so he gives us Dormer's Internal Affairs problems back in L.A. as further motivation. This works very well for two reasons: One, it is convincing. Recall his spontaneous confession to the hotel clerk (Maura Tierney). And two, the cop problems in Los Angeles are right out of the headlines of recent years. They are real. Nolan even has Ellie find a copy of the Los Angeles Times with one of the stories on the front page. The next psychological question is, is the villain a serial killer in the making? If he is, then Dormer must stop him regardless of his own problems. And therein lies the internal conflict of the film so well projected by Al Pacino. We know that there is something more than the midnight sun to account for Dormer's disintegration. He is a flawed cop. Like some of his real life counterparts in L.A. and elsewhere he took it upon himself, by falsifying evidence, to administer justice to a man he knew was guilty. When he did that, he knew (and this is something he teaches Ellie) that he had lost his integrity as a cop. The temptation to frame somebody we know is guilty of a horrendous crime is very great and many of us would fall into it. Since I cannot discuss the ending here in any concrete way, let me just say that if Nolan had really taken his time with the ending he might have had Dormer simply murder the villain and face the consequences (or even commit suicide). But I suspect Nolan believed that the heroic character of his star would have been compromised. In Skjoldbjaerg's film the police detective actually shoots the dog to obtain the spent bullet he needs. In Nolan's film the dog is already dead. I think this minor blush of character actually taints Nolan's film to some small degree and leads Nolan down the path to the Hollywood ending to come. But judge for yourself One final point. A lot can be gotten out of a single camera shot. This is something that Nolan does very well. A case in point is the shot on the plastic evidence bag holding the bullet that Dormer picks up in the lab. Nolan has the camera show us the words on the bag, "chain of custody," and he has the camera linger long enough for us to read them. This nice touch reminds us that THAT very chain of custody is being compromised, another echo of real life criminal investigations from recent years in L.A. See this for Al Pacino, at his best here, one of the great stars of our era whose ability to command the screen is second to none.
Rating: 
Summary: Inferior remake weakly steals from Norway film
Review: Why remake a movie if you can not improve upon it? All the things people thought were good about this movie were stolen from the vastly superior original film from Norway of the same name.
Rating:
Summary: Pacino and Williams SOAR
Review: Easily one of the most suspenseful films of 2002, "Insomnia" is a showcase for Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank - threee Oscar winners who prove their mettle in this fast-paced thriller that's perfect for the long cold winter we're experiencing this year. Williams is a maniacal presence, proving again that the actor can play against type and control his acting chops without going off on tangents. Swank, in a thankless role as a rookie local cop, makes the best of the character's essence as she lovingly learns from Pacino's character. And Al Pacino hasn't been this good in years - his "HOO-HAW" inflections from "Scent of a Woman" have faded, and he's all character here. See it for these three performances and for a taut script that has twists at every turn.
Rating: 
Summary: A highly skillful, if conventional, film.
Review: Christopher Nolan is a talented director, no doubt. His previous film "Memento" is proof of that. This film is proof as well, although it clearly shows the hallmarks of a Hollywood production: it proceeds cautiously and with great skill, but it feels like chartered territory: the villian (played with aplomb by Robin Williams) has to explain his motivations, thereby robbing the film of a little mystery, and the films ends in a way that is too rudimentary, too conventional for a film of this caliber. Ultimately, these flaws (and a few others) make "Insomnia" less satisfying than it could be. The fault is not necessarily Mr. Nolan's; it could very well lie with the screenwriter or, what is more likely, with the producers and the distributor. When "foreign" filmmakers come to Hollywood (Nolan is British), they are often "forced" to make more conventional films. But even with its conventional elements, "Insomnia" is about as skillful in its execution as a film can be. It's tense and captivating, and the performances all around are praiseworthy. Pacino gives all the hot-blooded gusto we normally associate with him, but it's toned down successfully, which helps to strengthen the heaviness and lingering exhaustion that the murder investigation (which is the film's subject) entails. The setting is perfect: Nolan takes the Alaskan climate and washes it beautifully with gray, blue, white, and green hues, with a never-ending, penetrating, suffusing light that renders Pacino an insomniac and that gives weight to the film's central themes. It's highly intelligent without being emotionally empty. Nolan understands nuance, and he has an uncanny ability to make the best out of his material. I cannot rate this film too highly because I felt it ultimately underwhelms with its conventions, but, by the same token, I will admit that I was taken aback by the ardor, skill, and technical assurance with which Nolan tells this story. Few films tie the strands together as well as this one does; even fewer match the visual language as precisely to the subject matter. It's an achievement, even if I kept feeling, particularly at the end of the film, that I've seen it before, only because Hollywood is better at repackaging the same elements instead of originating new ones. On the DVD itself: a good transfer, with a crips image and sound. Particularly appealing is a special feature in which Nolan discusses the film in the sequence in which it was shot -- now there is something original!
Rating: 
Summary: The Oscars Should Keep This One in Mind
Review: A couple of Hollywood legends are in top form and a newcomer director proves his first mind-bender wasn't a fluke. This movie revolves around Will Dormer (Al Pacino at his dreary best) who has come to Alaska with his partner to investigate a rather brutal murder. A girl was beaten senseless but than the killer carefully cleaned up the corpse to hide his deed. But just as Will is on to him, he accidently (or was it an accident) shoots his partner while chasing the killer in the fog. Then, the killer and Will begin a game of wits, a taunt cat and mouse game that pits each others souls, and lives, on the line. Will past comes into play, and the killers real intentions. The film is made ever the more suspenseful by the razor sharp directing of Christopher Nolan, the mind behind last years "Memento." He gives the film a sense of wild motion, to simulate the emotions and the slowly slipping mind of Dormer, who cannot get an ounce of sleep becasue of the 24 hour sunlight of Alaskas summer. He also gets the best out of his actors, who all are in their best mode for movie making. We don't only know the characters from the expertly written script, but also from the actors expressions, gestures and vocal inflections. In other words, you don't need the well-written script to get the characters emotions and personality. Al Pacino is the best part of this movie. His perfect portrayal of the conflicted Dormer goes down as one of the best performances he has turned in. Though he will proably be forgotten, he should at least be considered by the Academy for his work in this film. ot to mention director Christopher Nolan and the sinister Robin Williams, who turns in a truly creepy performance in his role as a small town writer.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock meets "Training Day"
Review: Truly a masterpiece of light and shadowy gray, the region where this movie dwells. Black and white, right and wrong are dceptively put on the back burner, where it doesn't belong, until the very end where poetic justice is served. Watch it in revulsion and marvel in its overpowering psychological subtlety and the perversions of men's minds and hearts.
Rating: 
Summary: Pacino couldn't sleep thru this....but I sure could!
Review: After seeing the masterpiece "Memento" and the highly interesting "Following" from Chris Nolan, I expected so much. What I got was incredibly disappointing. The movie is not unwatchable, but if Memento was a "10" on the originality scale, this turkey was a "1." I won't spoil the plot (actually, there is nothing of note to spoil anyway)... but this is a tired "nearly good cop chases bad guy, bad guy catches on to cop's Achille's heel, and cop must deal with being compromised" kinda flick. Lacking action, this is a talky thriller that could bore the pants off you. Only one scene with Pacino chasing Williams over a log-jammed stream was interesting. Everything else seemed like a bad rerun. Robin Williams did do a good job of acting, and I agree that Hillary Swank's performance was top notch...but this was not enough to save the movie. After 5 minutes of watching the disheveled, sleepless Al Pacino, I was thinking the movie would have been more watchable with anyone else. (Was Guy Pierce busy?) For being an insomniac, Pacino sleptwalked through this role. But even good acting can never overcome a mediocre story, and that's what you're in for, my friends. If you feel tempted to get this, do yourself a favor and get Pacino's "Sea of Love" instead. Perhaps Chris Nolan should have watched this one first, to see how this kind of movie could have been made, and what sort of compelling performance Pacino can deliver with the right material.
Rating:
Summary: Al Pacino & Robin Williams in the same film
Review: This is a rare Robin Williams film that he doesn't make an appearance in the movie until very late. And is not a comedy. This I would say as a drama. If you are a fan of Robin Williams in a comedy movies (you may be disappointed to see that he is co-starring in a drama movie). Robin Williams plays an author. And Al Painco plays a cop that is handling a case of a 17 years old girl that was one of Walter Finch's (Robin Williams) fans. As the movie opens, Will Dormer (Al Pacino) arrives in Nightmute Alaska to cover a case of a murdered teenager (Crystal Lowe) and the local police has no idea who murdered the teeanger. But at a cabin in the fog, Will shoots and kills his partner ( Martin Donovan). And only one person knows who really killed Will's partner and that is Walter.
Rating:
Summary: Good stuff, but come on...look at the cast!
Review: ...with Christopher Nolan at the helm, and all these Oscar winners roaming around amazing outdoor vistas, involved in a twisty murder mystery. It just couldn't suck.
...It's a very well-done thriller, with some stuff you've seen a million times (but you don't care because it's THAT well-done) and some stuff that will have even the most jaded viewers perking up their collective eyebrows in surprise.
It's way too early to tell if this is one of the five best films of the year, but it's excellent filmmaking all the way around, and well worth a perusal.
Rating:
Summary: Pacino, Williams & Swank were wonderful, but...
Review: "Insomnia" is a great thriller of a movie. A slow beginning, featuring more Pacino with little or no Williams. Once Pacino makes the flight to Alaska you have to stand back and admire the beautiful landscapes. Then the 2nd half of the movie kicks in and the high drama starts. Al Pachino (as "Dormer") was his normal wonderfully acted self. Hilary Swank played a very minor role as the deputy assistant. Too bad her role was not expanded (we all know she can act from her Oscar winning role in "Boy's Don't Cry"). My main grunt about this film was with Robin Williams' (as "Finch") role. I wish it was deeper and he had more screen time. He is such a wonderful and off-the-wall actor, I just know he could have really ad-libbed here and done a fantastic job as the bad boy villain. Director Chris Nolan ("Memento" and "Following") does a fine job bringing this murder mystery to light. Most of this movie centers around Pacino talking to the local folks in a small town uncovering clues one by one; finding Williams and then his attempts to catch him. The name of this film comes from Dormer's lack of sleep - in an always daylight setting in Alaska. "Insomnia" is a remake of the Norwegian film by the same name in 1997. Not a whole lot of extras with this DVD... a few feature length commentaries, stills gallery and trailers. Any Pacino fan will be happy to add this film to his/her library - right next to The Godfather I & II, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface, Heat, Serpico, Donnie Brasco, Dick Tracy, and Glengarry Glen Ross.
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