INSOMNIA
Starring:
Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Nicky Katt, Paul
Dooley, Martin Donovan and Katharine Isabelle
Director: Christopher Nolan
Running Time: 122 mins
Certificate: 15
Out to buy on DVD 7th July
Faced with investigating a murder of a young girl, Chief Charles Nyback (Dooley) requests that his friends and former colleagues Det. Will Dormer (Pacino) and Det. Hap Eckhart (Donovan) from the LAPD come to his sleepy Alaskan town to assist in the case. With help from local officers Fred Duggar (Katt) and rookie Ellie Burr (Swank), the LA detectives try and track down the killer but Dormer is struggling to cope with insomnia, as he is unable to sleep due to Alaskan sun never setting.
After the critical success of Memento, director Christopher Nolan brings together a cast of Oscar winners to remake a 1997 Scandinavian movie of the same name.
The performances of the cast are exceptionally good, with Al Pacino running the show. The master craftsman is in nearly every scene as you watch his character become plagued with uncertainty, hallucinations and the incapacity to do his job because of lack of sleep and an on going Internal Affairs investigation into Dormer's cases. Hilary Swank's portrayal of the rookie detective is also very good, playing a character that is consumed by enthusiasm and the need to impress Dormer with great effectiveness. Special mention also has to go to Robin Williams' very dark and calculated Walter Finch. This is his best performance since Good Will Hunting and shows that with a good script and an exceptional director, Robin Williams is a very gifted actor.
Christopher Nolan has proved again that he is a director to watch and is another British filmmaker that is setting new standards in Hollywood. By combining inventive inter-cutting with dramatic cinematography Nolan creates a world that is both beautiful and disturbing. Cutting from spectacular Alaskan scenery to Dormer's delusions about the case and the events that shaped it, this generates an air of tension and pulls the viewer into the character's sleep deprived world.
This is an intelligent and extremely well made thriller that is beautifully acted and amazing shot. The story is captivating and full of suspense as you witness Detective Dormer's world spin out of control. This is one of the best movies of 2002 and I guarantee that you will not see a better drama this year.
180 Degrees: A conversation
with Christopher Nolan and Al Pacino (17 mins)
Day for Night: Making of Insomnia (7 mins)
'In The Fog' with cinematographer Wally Pfister
'In The Fog' with production designer Nathan Crowley
Commentary by Christopher Nolan
Commentary by Hilary Swank, Nathan Crowley, Dody Dorn, Wally Pfister and
Hillary Seitz
'Eye Wide Open' - featurette on insomniacs (7 mins)
Additional scene (with/without commentary)
'From The Evidence Room' - stills gallery with music
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