Reviews: Insomnia

[JoBlo]

JoBlo's 8/10 review of INSOMNIA can be found here: http://www.joblo.com/insomnia.htm

And what did you think of the movie? Add your comments below.

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[Mr. Orange]

Insomnia is Christopher Nolan's follow up film to the great Momento, even though I didn't expect this movie to be as good as Momento it sure comes close! The characters were interesting and you actually got to look into the mind of the detective on the case. Played perfectly by Al Pacino. It is a wonderful thriller and should not be taken lightly by the viewer. This is a movie that will stay with you hours even days after you watch it.

I give it a 9/10 http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Mr. Orange (edited 05-23-2002).]

[Nate6]

INSOMNIA - 9/10

The best part of a good detective thriller is not just caring about the crime, but the detective too. And damn it if this one didn't make me care. Al Pacino, in his best performance since 1995's HEAT, plays Detective Will Dormer, who has been sent up alongside his partner (Martin Donovan) to investigate the murder of a seemingly happy teen girl in a small Alaska town. Well, let's just say one thing leads to another and when Dormer finally gets to the girl's murderer (Robin Williams in a horribly creepy performance, as if the previews didn't already reveal that), he finds himself in a bind because this man knows one of his most terrible secrets. Now, the film gets interesting. Dormer becomes tortured by many things, keeping secrets, trying to avoid an admiring but increasingly suspicious young detective (Hilary Swank), and of course, the fact that he can't sleep because yep, the sun doesn't go down that time of year.

The whole insomnia element adds a new dimension to a film that would have been great in the first place. We never know when it is night or day, and neither does Dormer. This is what allows us to care about the protagonist. Does his lack of sleep affect his judgement? Maybe, maybe not. Is his little cat-and-mouse game with Williams really all it's made out to be? Perhaps, perhaps not. We never can tell how this movie will be moving along.

Now let's talk about performances. INSOMNIA features, three, count 'em, three Oscar winners, and it shows. If there are better male lead performances than Pacino's here, we're looking ahead to an incredible year of performances. The thing about Pacino is that in most movies he tends to scream a lot and play his characters up the ass. Not so here. He knows where to restrain himself while still maintaining a presence. Williams is suitably creepy and tries his absolute best to escape his persona. It really isn't his fault that I couldn't see him as anything else but Patch Adams *shudders*. Swank proves her worth in a more important supporting role than you'd think possible, you see her become increasingly more aware of what is going on. She may trap Dormer because of what Dormer has taught her. And the rest is good too.

There is an incredible, multi-layered script by Hillary Seitz to work with, but what's most impressive is Christopher Nolan's surprisingly confident direction. He isn't showy, but he's still stylish. Very, very important.

So, an excellent film that I recommend to all lovers of thrillers, or all movie fans in general. Such a good alternative to the $7 billion blockbusters out there this summer.

[Puck Bond]

Insomnia 8/10...

Insomnia is a taut, intense, terrific thriller from Christopher Nolan with a great setting and premise and three terrific performances. Al Pacino plays Will Dormer a L.A. detective sent to the small Alaska town of Night Mute to solve the murder of a young high-school girl. The film's atmosphere and setting adds so much to this film the town is Night Mute where the sun doesn't go down during the summer and never comes up during the winter...surrounded by picturesque snow-capped moutains and lush green forrests...and an icy cold feel. There is a great shot of the icy glaciers at the beginning of the movie when Pacino is flying in. Pacino is excellent as a confident detective who is hampered by his partner and an Internal Affairs investigation. After a stakeout goes horribly wrong Pacino becomes deeply and inescapably involved with the suspect(played creepily by Robin Williams) and is losing his sense of reality from not being able to sleep due to the constant sunlight. Hillary Swank is also excellent as a young cop who admires Dormer's history and style...but becomes increasingly suspicious of Dormer and his investigation. There is a great line that Pacino says "A good cop can't sleep because some important clue is escpaing him, a bad cop can't sleep because his conscience won't let him." That is really what the film is all about Pacino can't sleep not because of the constant sunlight, but because his conscience won't let him. So, overall Insomnia is a great follow-up from Memento director christopher Nolan...that features a terrific setting and premise and equally terrific performances by the entire cast especially Al Pacino in another rock solid effort.

[Strider]

Insomnia (2002)

Rated R for Language, Some Violence, & Brief Nudity

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tiernay, Martin Donovan, Nicky Katt, & Paul Dooley.

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0278504/CT-2786.jpg

Detective Will Dormer(Al Pacino), is having many problems with both his personal life and his reputation. For unknown reasons, Dormer and his partner, Hap(Martin Donovan) are sent to a small city in Alaska to investigate a murder of a young girl.

First things first, I loved the cinematography. Alaska was the perfect place to shoot a film like this. It sets the tone for this brilliant psycho-logical thriller perfectly.

Al Pacino, Al Pacino, Al Pacino! What an excellent actor. He truly is one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen. Pacino's performance is just mesmerizing. It's one of his greatest and most memorable performances ever, period. His character, "Will Dormer", is so intriguing. He's basically a tormented human being who really has lost his way in life. I loved how Pacino's character kept you guessing. You just never know what kind of a cop he really is. And the film has you pondering on this during and after the film.

Robin Williams was not Robin Williams this time around. And that's a great thing. You get to see a side of him none of us have ever seen. A villainous side, actually. The closest Williams has ever gotten to a dark role was in Kenneth Branagh's "Dead Again". Anyway, Williams was just brilliant! He's never been better.

Hilary Swank also deserves a shout-out as well. She was solid as the rookie cop, "Ellie Burr". And she also did a very good job holding her own with Pacino. They shared some great chemistry together.

Director, Christopher Nolan is definitely one of the most promising new talents out there. And he has proven that with his magnificent films. Nolan is someone everybody should keep their eyes on. In my honest opinion, I think Nolan is a great director. And I stand by the comment no matter what anybody says. Anyway, I loved "Insomnia". It's a great film. And definitely one of the year's best. Hopefully, it will not go overlooked by anybody this summer movie season.

Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes

Grade: 10/10

Strider

[Snowboy]

Solid directing, a great premise, but a film that didn't really completely blow me away. Don't get me wrong, this is a great film. Christopher Nolan is definitely a very talented director. I especially liked how I began to feel tired myself the more I watched Al Pacino fall apart. Speaking of which..I have never been a big fan of his, but he gave an amazing performance here. Personally I think he should have a place in the Oscar race next year. Hilary Swank was also good with her thinly written part. She's a solid actress. Robin Williams, I had hoped for a better performance from him. I wasn't completely convinced that he was a murderer. I dunno..I just didn't buy it. The film also seemed to lag a little bit here and there. I loved the sudden flashes and the sounds, quite creepy. The cinematography was also quite astounding. All in all, a good change of pace from the crappy thriller we have been getting lately. 7/10

[bigred760]

There are many things that make this movie so freakin good. I think first and foremost is the acting: Al Pacino and Robin Williams deliver superb performances, which is to be expected of course. Al Pacino plays a cop with little conscience left and Robin Williams plays, not a homicidal murderer like I previously thought, but just one of those creepy guys that nobody wants to know and pretty much keeps to himself. The scenes where these two basically matched wits with each other fascinated me - watching two pros duke it out usually does (kind of like Pacino and De Niro in Heat).

The script was basically predictable, but how it was laid out was great. Pacino's lack of sleep, the chase through the fog, etc. was brought to the audience through multiple points of view - I feel that few movies are able to do that. You kind of get how Pacino's character is feeling and what he's going through.

Scenery was great, good supporting cast, and good ending.

8/10

[pat00139]

Considering that everybody else praised the acting, I'll sidestep that aspect of the movie. All I'll say is that the three main players did not disappoint me at all. I didn't know Maura Tierney had a part in the movie and I was very glad to see her there even though her part wasn't too big. The supporting cast was great as well.

(Just a warning, some of the things I say may spoil the movie if you're intuitive enough.)
The original movie was great, and so was this one. Remakes are a risky choice, they usually lose something in the translation (see Vanilla Sky. Open Your Eyes was much better.) But with a cast like that and Chris Nolan as director, how could it miss? It stays more or less faithful to the original, but with a few minor changes which make it even better. The biggest difference is the IA investigation being completely absent from the Norwegian version. It's rare to see a remake better than the original but it's been pulled off here.

The music is great, as with both other Nolan flicks. David Julyan does a great job creating the right atmosphere. The cinematography by Wally Pfister is amazing. He can really shoot a movie. The script is solid. It's a great thriller. It explores the detective's descent in greater detail than in the 1997 version. The light motif is amazing. The darker he wants things to be, the more his conscience troubles him. The light-as-trush aspect has been done before but rarely this well. (Underwater in the dark, having the sunlight blocked by the logs is great(that scene isn't in the orginal, by the way). He goes towards the light but he almost gets crushed by a big, dark log. Seeing the dead black dog, and how it helps him hide the truth. Nolan is a great director.) The script is top-notch, and Nolan knows how to use it to the fullest. He is wonderful. Every frame is immaculate and every word is perfectly delivered. He knows how to make a movie. All the psychological torment that all the characters go through is incredible. I felt for every single one them.

This is one terrific movie. I cannot recommend it enough. I really can't wait for Nolan's next movie.

10/10

[LAW]

It seems all my life I have waited for a movie director to create nothing but masterpieces. To be able to say, "They're putting out a movie, I'M THERE!". Nolan is on the right track big time. I'm almost scared to see his next film for fear of disappointment. I think he's too sure of himself to let that happen though. It was nothing short of a master-stroke having him direct and Pacino & Williams play these parts. The tension and flashes of blood seeping through fabric were almost to much to take.
INSOMNIA 9/10
MEMENTO 10/10
FOLLOWING 9/10

[REAL_XYZ]

I enjoyed this movie. I always enjoy watching Al Pacino. He is a master of his craft. (As I was waiting in line for popcorn, a 15-year-old boy standing behind me asked what I was going to see. I said, "Insomnia!" He said, "Hmmm. Is anyone good starring in that movie?" Naturally, I said, "Yes, Al Pacino is in it." The boy said, "Al Pacino? WHO IS THAT?") Yikes! What a shame.

Anyway, Al Pacino played a great role, Hilary Swank is always easy on the eyes, and I mostly like Robin Williams when he is playing serious roles.

I liked the overall moral to the story. I like the way the plot brought out the realistic side of the characters. That just goes to show that solid acting, directing, and a solid plot make a better movie than overrated computer graphics and other special effects.

However, there seemed to be a very small ingredient missing from this movie, but I can't put my finger on what it was. Even so, it was refreshing to watch this movie after seeing a few so-called summer blockbusters. I say 8.5/10.

[blankpage]

Insomnia
starring:Al Pacino,Robin Williams,Hillary Swank
Directed by:Christopher Nolan
R


Insomnia is three things.First off it’s a re-make of a 1997 film.The second thing it’s new comer Christopher Nolan’s second film after one of my favourite’s,Memento and the third thing,well that can wait.Anyways Insomnia isn’t as good as Memento though,but it’s sure close.

Pacino plays a famous LA cop who is sent to Alaska down with his partner to investigate with the murder of a local teenage girl.He finds out that there in the season where it’s sunlight 24/7 for 5 months.Things get complicated he accidentally shoots his partner while looking for the murder.He then is getting many calls from the main suspect played by Robin Williams.Williams’ character is a local writer.The two meet and have conversations amongst themselves.They come up with a plan to frame the teenage girl’s boyfriend.But thing’s get screwed up.

Nolan is one of the best director’s ever.He is climbing the charts on my fav director’s list.His films are so interesting to view.Even with the simplest stories he can make them into great things.In this film he gives no mercy.In the film Pacino can’t sleep,every single night,or day.During his day at work the walls begin to cave in on him.On top of having to deal with a murder case and fazing the fact he killed his partner.We can hear strange noises and sounds,Pacino can’t think.And by the end Pacino is a wreck.Nolan make’s sure that you can feel those wall caving in,he makes them cave in on you too.

The acting was great.Pacino was really excellent.I loved all of those smart ass quotes he would say.Whatever he says people do it.He says something it’s done.If you have an idea,well tough beans it’s wrong.Ya,that’s the kind of person Pacino’s character is.Williams was great too.He should do a lot more acting in the field of drama.His dialouge was great too.The way he talked it was just really eerie.

Insomnia should be reconzied in the Best Picture,Best Actor,Best Supporting Actor,and Best Director come Oscar season.The atmosphere is really eerie and creepy.By the end it makes you tired,not because the movie was bad.Just because well.....find out for yourself.

Remember at the start if my review when I said there was a third thing about this film well,Insomnia is the Best film I have seen in 2002 so far.

8.5/10


--Logan Groves


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[dannywalker17]

Insomnia (2002)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Al Pachino, Hillary Swank, Robin Williams, Maura Tierney, and Jonathan Jackson

Rating: 9/10:D

I finally got to see Insomnia, which I missed in the theatres. I liked it a lot. Christopher Nolan's follow-up to Memento is a well done crime-thriller and it's strong points are it's unconventional, very well developed characters, all of which are portrayed superbly by the oscar caliber cast. The story is also very riveting as Pachino's Det. Dormer struggles with internal and external conflict all while dealing with his insomnia, meanwhile Swank's character tries to follow in quasi-mentor Dormer's footsteps. The movie has moments of intense action, suspense, and true emotion, and the way everything comes together in the end made the film all the more interesting. Overall, it is an intelligent thriller with many layers and among the year's best films.

[silentasylum]

this is a very smart movie, i also missed it at the theatres. everytime you put together a smart director and good actors you'll always have a good intelligent movie. the setting of the movie are one of the many things that help this movie's originality. like usual al pacino does a great job in his role, i also enjoyed watching robin williams play his role of the madman, hilary swank also did her part, this is a good film and recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

[Jerk Shapiro]

Another one of those "only one thumb up in the icon", dilemnas.

Damn. This is a good movie. Great direction (Nolan), and really great performances. Hell, this movie is PACINO. That's what it's all about, Al.

Al fuels this great, taut, exciting, and provacitive thriller. He's chasing ol' Robin Williams around. Williams also does a great job as the bad-guy.

Christopher Nolan continues the streak. Although this movie is a taaaaaaaaad slow for a thriller, it still packs a thrilling punch.

MANIAC: 8/10

[Jayen]

You know you watch some movies in life not b'cos of the hype surrounding it (e.g. Basic Instinct..anyone remembers that from the Dinosaur Age ?), but b'cos of the actors/actresses performing in it. AND AL PACINO IS MY FAV! Robin Williams is also a fav, but Al's the guy for me! And like any other AP movie, I watched Insomnia b'cos he is in it. I wasn't dissapointed! When was the last time we saw AP truly having a script which doesn't require him to ham it up...Donnie Brasco? At the same time, engage you deeply into the story so much so you can't take your eyes & ears off the screen? Wow man, to see the Master portray the character...is a lesson for would-be actors. In the beginning, Det Dohmer comes off as a guy who's worth the confidence he eminates in his job...but later, after his boo-boo, you can see the transformation that AP brings to Dohmer...the struggle in his conscience & yet confident when dealing with the bad guy...and yes, in my opinion, AP has the deepest gaze any actor has..the one that doesn't need dialogue to be heard, but just seen. The only gripe I have (gosh yes! but not his fault) with AP's performance is that I know he's not gonna get an Oscar or any nomination for this role. And why? B'cos AP himself has set high standards that without doubt he gets compared to with his every other performance. See 'Dog Day Afternoon', 'Serpico' & 'Godfather I & II" just to get an idea. It's like Michaelangelo...all his art works are good..but there's only one Mona Lisa.

Robin W...with this performance, & 'One Hour Photo', we can safely say that RW is looking to spice up his acting CV, & I would say that his evolution as an actor is looking fine with this role. RW's plays mean, but at times, he also succeds in drawing the viewer's sympathy...he didn't intend to start out as a bad guy, but got 'pulled' into it out of anger.

As for Hilary Swank, she got more meat that most female characters do (in her role, I mean!), & for her part, she was ok, but I sincerely hope she's got more lasting power than say, Holly Hunter!

Finally, keep up the good work Chris Nolan! I'm rooting that you'd be holding an Oscar in the future!

[Dude]

VERY GOOD film.

Insomnia: 8/10

Takes the usual tired cop drama elements and presents them in as fresh a manner as possible.

[freakandgeek]

while i like both pacino and williams, this movie was so boring (imo) that it could cure insomnia.

4/10

[Deckard]

INSOMNIA (7/10)

When compared to other remakes of foreign films this one is head and shoulders above most all the competition.

Solid direction, stylized cinematography and a very interesting story. IMo however the film could have done with sokme serious editing. This becomes very evident when viewing the original which contains pretty much all the same information, trexture and mood delivered in just 90minutes.

Where the original was a taut, punchy thriller with oodles of atmosphere....the remake is a longwinded but ultimately satisfying experience.

I also prefer Stellan Skasgaaurds (sp?) performance over Pacino's but all in all would definetly recommend this one as one of the few remakes worth watching.

[movieguy1021]

http://www.geocities.com/samsmoviereviews/insomnia.art

Insomnia: 7/10

Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia is a sometimes taut but always entertaining thriller. If you have seen his earlier project Memento, you can see obvious references to it, such as the mellow music and the quick flashbacks.

Insomnia stars Al Pacino as a veteran L.A. cop who is sent to Nitemute, Alaska with his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) to solve the murder of Kay Connell. Up in Nitemute, it’s summer and the sun doesn’t set, causing problems sleep-wise for Pacino’s character Will Dormer (Dormer, and forms of it, mean “sleep” in many languages). However, while trying to solve the murder, he accidentally shoots and kills Hap, while still being sleep deprived. Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), an excited cop in Alaska, is now on the shooting of Hap, which everyone believes to be the killer of Kay.

Soon, Walter Finch (Robin Williams), calls Will during his sleepless nights, commenting that he saw Will shoot his partner. Of course, that means that Finch is the killer, but how is Will going to prove that, because “You only know because I told you.”

Don’t go into Insomnia looking for a thrill-a-minute. There’s a few tense scenes, like the fog, the log chase scene, and the ending, for sure, but it’s awfully hard to enjoy them as much since Nolan uses such quick cuts, it makes it look like Blair Witch 3. Each scene could have been done in 40,000 takes, and it looks it. I found it rather nauseating. What I didn’t find nauseating, however, was the acting. Pacino was excellent as Dormer, and so was Williams, with three movies in 2002, even though he didn’t have much screen time, and was billed second.

Maura Tierney plays a hotel clerk-waitress person in the hotel Will and Hap stay at, and she eventually becomes important. Jonathan Jackson was Kay’s boyfriend and is being framed for the murder. Although it thinks of itself of being confusing, it actually isn’t. Well, not at least until the whole 9MM thing comes around. I really wish that they could have played the insomnia theme more. About the only thing it was good for was a quick jump and to fill some time. If it had been a major point, like Leonard’s loss of short-term memory in Memento, it would have worked. Maybe, however, Nolan wanted to steer away from his other movie. I would suggest seeing Insomnia, but don’t set you scopes too high.

[scottish-movie-freak]

I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy Insomnia, it WAS good but not as good as everyone says it is. Al Pacino was (as usual) great but Ifelt the character was somewhat cliched (sp) but he managed to make the son of a bitch more rounded which made you care for the character. Robin Williams wasn't as good as in One Hour Photo but with a smaller part, you didn't expect that.

My major problem with the movie is Hilary Swank. A fine performance from the leading lady but her character just wasn't interesting enough, all she was allowed to do was play the Nancy Drew character and suspect Pacino of foul play. GIVE THE WOMAN SOME DECENT PARTS!

All in all, a decent movie but I wouldn't rush to see it again.

A generous 7/10.

[Heavenley]

A decent mystery thriller starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams.

The best thing about this movie is the setting, set in a small town in Alaska where for many months it doesn't get dark. Very interesting IMO. An intelligent thriller with the madman and the detective playing a cat and mouse game. A few tense scenes, especially the chilling fog scene. Robin Williams is extremely creepy ( A great actor IMO) glad to see him expanding his acting talents beyond comedy........perfect in this role.


7/10

[moviefan20]

Al Pacino, for one thing is a excellent actor, the only movie i wasn't sure about was Simone....anyways, he just seems to fit the roles he plays
As for Robin Williams being a "bad guy", that is just awesome..Something no one ever suspected him to do...I also liked him in 1 Hour Photo...
I greatly enjoyed the movie and it seem to have a great story and plot.:D

7/10

[wyodebbie]

"Insomnia" is a solidly packed crime thriller enchanced by the rugged backdrop of a small Alaskan town. Al Pacino gives another good police detective performance and Robin Williams was very effective playing mind games with Pacino and along with insomnia push Pacino over the edge. I especially liked Hilary Swank as eager beaver rookie cop who picked up all the small clues to solve the crimes of both murders. This not an out-an-out thrill a minute flick but more quiet character driven psychological type. Director Christopter Nolan I felt delivered a moody, tense thriller with good script and good acting.