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Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $14.96
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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Boring
Review: You know a movie is boring when you check your watch, half expecting to be half an hour closer to the end of the movie, and it's really been five minutes. The most enjoyable thing I could see was watching Al Pacino's forehead...you don't even need the DVD for this. Watch him as he talks for long periods of time with wrinkles in his forehead that don't move one bit...watch his eyebrows raised from plastic surgery. Truly amazing. I was expecting much more than an A to B to C to D movie where you can see the ending coming from a mile away. This was the guy that did Memento...hopefully, his next one will be better.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: THE FULL SCREEN EDITION
Review: The disc is loaded with commentary extras and a featurette as well. Worth it for those even if the film is not all that great

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pacino in top form!
Review: Christopher Nolan delivered the most satisfying thriller of this past year, with this breathtaking remake of the Dutch picture of the same name. Insomnia is a masterpiece of mood and suspence,featuring Robin Williams unshakeably creepy turn as a demented killer, as well as Al Pacino's most intense performance in years!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great movie but not better than Memento
Review: Then again, no movie can match Memento. But anyway this review is on "Insomnia". First of all what is with Nolan directing movies with weird one word titles:
"Following" (his first but not that great movie that tops in at 1 hour), "Memento" (the best thriller of all time!) and "Insomnia" (the coolest thriller of all time!) Plus the titles match the main thoughts of the movies:
Following was about a guy who followed people
Memento was about a guy who wrote mementos on Polaroids
Insomnia was about a detective who gets insomnia in Alaska (the fact being that it was light out 24 hours a day)

But this movie while still excellent, cool and thrilling will never match up. The movie is about a detective (Al Pacino) who is sent to Alaska to investigate the murder of a 17-year old girl. But his investigation gets weirder. He can't sleep because it is light out 24 hours out of the day and plus he lied about accidentally shooting his partner. Plus the killer (played ruthlessly by Robin Williams in the second movie out of his "dark movie" trilogy that started with "Death to Smoochy", continued with Insomnia and concluded with One Hour Photo).

I am not saying more. Check this movie out and please, if you get the DVD, get the Widescreen version because I had to subject myself to the fullscreen version and it absolutely [stank]! ... Check this awesome movie out now!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Movie of 2002
Review: Without a shadow of a doubt, "Insomnia" is the best movie of 2002. Los Angeles detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) has been sent up to Alaska to investigate a homicide. In the small, quaint city, Dormer is on pursuit for a psychological killer and fights with a faulty past. While searching for the madman, Dormer loses sleep due to the atmosphere and his personal guilt. The movie does a good job with the setting and the lush scenery is perfect for the story's mood. The film centers around the characters and it's surprising to see Al Pacino not make so much noise. It was great. Robin Williams in a different role and Hilary Swank was kicking major buttocks. Kudos for the director Christopher Nolan with this follow-up to "Memento."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Can't stay awake? Try watching INSOMNIA!
Review: Christopher Nolan's follow-up to MEMENTO is a more straight-forward thriller which serves as both an excellent tour-de-force of suspense in terrific form and re-establishment of Robin Williams' serious acting roles. But the main guy here is of course, the great Al Pacino, who gives another fantatsically compelling performance. The story, basically, is centered around Pacino hunting down a serial killer on the loose (Williams). Hey, at least Williams is breaking away from his "funnyman" sterotype and proves, at least with this, that he can be serious and still bring the same commanding M.O to any character on film. Hillary Swank also provides impressive supporting energy, helped with a sharp script. Not surprisingly, the score, very important addition in this genre, is a fantastic blend of slighty etheral tracks with downbeat percussions building up the tension. Director Nolan, having proven his coup-de-grace with the intracate stylistic MEMENTO, here works in more familiar action territory. That's not to say that the film is bereft of twists however, for there are numerous shockers and suprises along the way. A terrific film, and a must have on DVD.
Speaking of which, the DVD extra features are fantastic, with an interesting commentary by director Christopher Nolan, commentary by actor Hilary Swank, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Dody Dorn, cinematograher Wally Pfister, and screenwriter Hillary Seitz, additional scene with commentary the doco "Day for Night" making of documentary, "180 Degrees": A Conversation with Christopher Nolan and Al Pacino, "In the Fog": Cinematography and production design and "Eyes Wide Open": The insomniac's world. Also included are trailers and stills gallery. Very impressive.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Well Made ...
Review: In 1997 a Swedish filmmaker named Erik Skjoldbjaerg released a film he titled "Insomnia". It was about a detective from Sweden who was sent to solve a brutal murder in northern Norway, where the sun shines 24 hours a day... does this sound familiar? I gave this movie three stars simply because of the incredible lack of originality. It is obviously a complete ... of Skjoldbjaerg's film. If you have seen the Swedish film you would agree with me that this movie is far below the standards as a film than the original. Please, if you have already seen this movie, don't buy it. Take the time to purchase Skjoldbjaerg's Insomnia, it is a much better film (if you can live with subtitles).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Powerful movie with breathtaking scenery of Alaska
Review: This movie blew me away. Pacino was wonderful. Robin Williams made a great psychological killer. The scenes from Nightmute, Alaska made me want to pack up and move immediately!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Absolute Winner .
Review: This review is divided to two parts . I warmly advice to read only the first part because I feel that the additional information I will provide in the second part , though not revealing , can damage the experience of "Insomnia".

Part I : The "Insomnia" experience .
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In this section I would urge you not to extend the information you've gathered this far about the movie . I have had a hell of a ride seeing the film knowing almost nothing about it beforehand . That's why I think this is he best way to 'meet' the movie - completely unprepared . Letting yourself drift into the atmosphere and storyline will guaranty full satisfaction from a movie that is so good .

Nevertheless , if you're interested in something more ...

Part II : Some plot and characters details .
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"Insomnia" refers to the lack of sleep Al Pacino suffers from due to troubled and disturbed conscience in addition to the phenomena of Alaska's white nights , where at a certain season of the year the sun does not set .

Al Pacino portrays the character of a near retirement cop that along with a partner arrive at Alaska in order to solve a murder case . That's all you should know about the plot .

Why would that short description bring you to the theatre or to buying the DVD version ? It probably wouldn't . But if I told you that his character is one of his most interesting and complicated of the last ten years ? Now , that sounds better and indeed is the case ! Ever since the superb "Scent of a Woman" never has Al Pacino managed to offer the viewer a smashing performance as he had demonstrated in the portrayal of Frank Slade . I believe that here , in the shoes of Will Dormer , Pachino finally continues the legacy of his so well-remembered Oscar winning character .

Yes , Pacino and virtually every other member of the cast deliver a great performance . Leave the names of the other actors unknown , if you haven't already discovered them , and prepare yourself for pleasant surprises . The story is hard and dark , yet bears in it a great promise , comfort and unmatched morality .

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Take your wife/husband , take your kids if they are above 12 , this is surely an experience none of you will forget for quite sometime .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Filmmaking at its best!!
Review: This movie was excellent! Very original story with a couple of new twists compared to the original from 1997. Pacino plays such a convincing cop with problems of his own. And Williams was phenomenal, i was very surprised. How could I go without mentionning director Christopher Nolan (Memento, Following), possibly one of the best new directors of our time, or any. This entire film was crafted beautifully, the visuals of Alaska, the good storytelling, the great acting & of course the direction. This is one of my favorite movies of the year, and hopefully, it will be greatly considered when Oscar time comes around. Also see: Insomnia(1997-Criterion Collection) & One Hour Photo.


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