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Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Can't fall asleep to this movie
Review: I don't know anyone who can fall asleep to this fantastic film. Al Pacino, one of the most well known actors stars in Insomnia with Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. Takes place in Alaska, a writer, Walter Finch (Robin Williams) murders a young girl. Detective Dormer (Al Pacino) who killed a fellow detective, who is sleep-deprived tracks Finch down as well as Hilary Swank tracks down Dormer. This dvd has many bonus features. A fantastic movie. From the director of Memento, Christopher Nolan.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Pacino is great
Review: "Insomnia" stars Al Pacino as Dormer, an LA detective on assignment in remote Alaska. He is there to help local cop Hilary Swank find the murderer of a teenage girl. Dormer sufers from insomnia, due to the ever-present sunlight in the Alaskan summer; his nerves are frayed, he's strung-out, and he makes a big mistake. He accidently kills a police officer, and blames the murderer. That story would probably work except for one thing: the girl's killer saw him do it. Dormer is contacted by Finch, the murderer, and blackmailed into silence; if he turns Finch in, Finch will tell on Dormer.

Pacino is outstanding as the morally conflicted cop who can't sleep. Swank is good as the eager-beaver young cop who must deal with her own issues of right and wrong.

The weak link in the cast is Robin Williams, who plays the murderer, Finch. We know he can be genuinely creepy, as he was in One-Hour Photo It's too bad he didn't bring some of that spine-tingling excitement to this role. He is much too low-key, comfortable, and cheerful, and not nearly sinister enough here. The movie is without suspense or thrills of any kind, due to Williams' nice-guy bad-guy.

The desolation of the Alaskan scenery is striking and the musical score is effective, but the film lacks the necessary chill-factor to make it successful as a thriller. Fans of Al Pacino will enjoy his profoundly moving performance, but those hoping for edge-of-your-seat suspense will be disappointed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: When The Lights Never Go Out
Review: This movie is a surprise sleeper. Pacino, plays one of those gruff detective roles that he is masterful at depicting. He is sent up to Alaska to help solve a murder. And, he is up above the Arctic Circle so the sun never sets in the Summer.

This scenario allows some special problems to develop, as Pacino struggles with his personality and his sleep, which he cannot get. Ultimately, he is hallucinatory from lack of sleep. But that does not keep him from completing his mission.

Of special note is Hillary Swank's performance which is worth seeing the movie in and of itself. Swank plays a Jr. Policewoman, the only woman on the force. She is usually delegated to misdemeanors and light work, but in this case, she is involved with this murder investigation. She plays a wonderfully thoughtful, new policewoman, trying to piece together the parts of her very first murder case, in fact, her very first case of any real significance at all. Her methods and thought patterns mesh wonderfully, with those of the veteran detective Pacino, as they both close in on their prey.

There are some great moments of suspense and there are significant moments of mystery in the movie. It truly is one that did not get proper attention before. An excellent watch.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Al, we love ya!
Review: The opening helicopter shots descending into a Northern winter-wonderland are the only authentic pictures of "Alaska" in 2002's "Insomnia". No matter. You can leave reality at the door...Filmed in British Columbia(the glacier shots are spectacular), "Insomnia" is a brutal, un-relenting, psychological expose of one man's collapse into hell. Of course, he finds the greatest source of his pain resides within his very own mind. Al Pacino(at age 62) and Robin Williams(nicely underplayed) are exceptional in this American re-make of the recent European hit. The slippery-slope failure's of L.A. Det.Dormer are disected with precision by a great director, and perhaps the master actor of our time, the worldly Pacino. This excellent DVD includes a sit-down with Pacino himself...your eyes will not turn away...Lack of sleep and criminal neglect cause our valiant officer to step-over-the-line. His panic is real. What should he do? Try to rest? The Robin Williams tag-line says it all..."Don't worry Will. You can sleep when you're dead."

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Insomnia Is Great
Review: This movie was really good. Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, and Jonathan Jackson were great. The scenery was good to see too. Jonathan is hot as usual, but it's too bad that he didn't get much air time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Insomnia - A superb psychological thriller!
Review: I would definitely have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this suspense/thriller/detective story. "Insomnia" scores on all hits insofar as plot development, direction, acting and overall suspense. I've watched a lot of Al Pacino's films over the years and I'd have to say that "Insomnia" is probably his best film in some time. When you sit down to watch one of his films, you're usually guaranteed of one thing, Al Pacino in a movie with a different name, his portrayals are usually pretty similar. This is not the case with "Insomnia," which I believe is inherent to the fact that he had to play a famous detective from LA that is brought onto a case in Nightmute, Alaska and guess what, it daytime all day, and he's having a problem sleeping, due to both the all day daylight and a "slight" conscience problem.

Beyond Al Pacino's stellar performance in "Insomnia" there is Robin Williams and Hilary Swank, all three being Academy Award winners. When one prepares to watch a film with Robin Williams in it, there is either going to be either humor that will take your breath away or an exceptional dramatic performance, which is what he delivers in "Insomnia." The ever beautiful Hilary Swank is right on with her performance as the somewhat "star struck" local detective, assigned to assist Al Pacino's character.

As a follow up to his directorial debut in "Memento," director Christopher Nolan delivers brilliantly in "Insomnia" and his future films are to be looked forward to.

The premise:

LAPD Detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) is called in to investigate the murder of a local in Nightmute, Alaska. Upon arrival and being met by Hilary Swank's character, he immediately views the remains of the murder victim, a young high school girl whose been beaten to death. With the investigation started, he soon learns of the ever shining "midnight" sun during this time of year in Alaska and he soon learns of his partners intentions with reference to his affairs back in LA. Take the already palpable tension between he and his partner, a stakeout where their hoping to catch the killer and fog off of a lake and here you have an exceptional psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

I highly recommend this film to any and all fans of this genre. {ssintrepid}

Special Features:

- Additional Scenes
- Commentary by Director Christopher Nolan
- Commentary by Hilary Swank, Production Designer Nathan Crowley, Editor Dody Dorn, Cinematographer Wally Pfister and Screenwriter Hillary Seitz

Featurettes:
- Day for Night: Making of Documentary
- 180°: A Conversation with Christopher Nolan and Al Pacino
- In the Fog: Cinematography and Production Design
- Eyes Wide Open: The Insomniac's World

Additional special features: Stills Gallery; Interactive Menus; Theatrical Trailer; Cast/Crew Film Highlights and Scene Access

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Atmospheric and gripping.
Review: Christopher Nolan has surprised audiences with the follow-up to his mega-successful film Memento. While not as layered and intricately plotted as his first film, Insomnia stands on it's own as a wonderfully paced murder mystery. The setting for this film is the main star. Alaska has never looked more foreboding, cold, or alien as it does in this picture and the wonderful cinematography only adds to the tension of the piece. Al Pacino, as always, is wonderful as Det. Dormer, a man with a haunted past of mistakes, guilt ridden decision making, and a terrible infirmity: Insomnia. Robin Williams infuses his manical portrayal of a cold, caluculating killer with righteous aplomb: The demon next door. A few particularly weak plot devices fail to ruin the mystery of the film, and the script crackles with sharp dialogue. Highly recommended for mystery fans.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ironically enough, a sure cure for insomnia
Review: I have always been an Al Pacino fan, and always thought he had a good range in terms of what kind of movie he could pull off well. Robin Williams on the other hand, I always thought had little range and should stick to comedy. After seeing Jumanji, it gets hard to picture Williams as a killer, but surprisingly enough his performance in Insomnia is actually very well done, and Pacino also gives a fantastic performance as a detective struck with Insomnia after accidentally killing a long time partner and friend.
The problem with Insomnia is not the acting, rather the story itself is so simple to the point of being predictable. Normally convoluted stories do not interest me, and at first I liked the way Insomnia remained basic, but after the first half hour with very few intriguing events, Insomnia turned out to be exceptionally boring. I don't mean to sound like an action buff only interested in fight scenes, but when each event is predictable twenty minutes before it happens there is cause for concern. My opinion on this movie is often challenged; many critics and audiences alike enjoyed the cat and mouse game between Pacino and Williams, but while watching the movie I constantly felt a need for something more in this movie, because as it stands the one word I would use to describe Insomnia would be generic.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: To predictable.
Review: Typical film for this suspense mystery genre. Nothing special here except for an outstanding preformance by Robin Williams. Not a complete waste of time. It's a great flick to watch on a rainy day, just don't expect anything different. There's nothing new under the sun, therefore it's all been done before. I'd just like to see it executed originally for a change.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: A Good Time to Get Some Sleep
Review: Th worst Robin Williams i've watched! It is a drab slow moving stupid film not worthy of being on a DVD

Rated R For-Stupidity


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