World Famous Comics: Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)
Insomnia (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Martin Donovan (II), Oliver 'Ole' Zemen, Hilary Swank Directed By: Christopher Nolan Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Warner Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: October 15, 2002 Running Time: 118 minutes Theatrical Release Date: May 24, 2002
Description: Crime never sleeps. Neither does Will Dormer (AL PACINO), a veteran LAPD homicide detective sent north to Alaska to head a murder case. There his investigation is disrupted by an ever-shining Midnight Sun that wreaks sleep-depriving havoc on his body clock and brings Dormer's shady, guilt-plagued past into the light of day.
Amazon.com essential video: As a more conventional follow-up to his innovative thriller Memento, Christopher Nolan's Insomnia offers ample proof that his skills are genuine. A superbly crafted remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller, this moody police procedural is transplanted to a remote Alaskan town, where a veteran Los Angeles detective (Al Pacino) arrives to investigate the murder of a teenaged girl. Professional tragedy collides with psychological turmoil as the detective suffers from sleeplessness under the region's perpetual daylight, and a local rookie cop (Hilary Swank) begins to suspect that truths are being hidden as the disturbing case unfolds. While the Alaskan setting intensifies the atmospheric mystery, Pacino's bleary-eyed disorientation adds a rich layer to his character's erratic behavior, and the casting of Robin Williams as the killer was a risk that pays off nicely. In many respects better than the original, Insomnia is a Hollywood remake that's refreshingly free of compromise. --Jeff Shannon
In A Word...Brillance Insomnia is already one of the best films of the year. Chris Nolan who brought has the excellent Memento follows up with this brilliant film. Al Pachino is great in the lead role but the scene stealer here is Robin Williams. When you see the film you'll know what I mean. I won't go into the plot all I'm saying is go see it
An acting gem Three very good character actors come together in a crime drama/ mystery in the long summer day of Alaska. A shooting during a chase results in a detective's death. The murder, then, saw the detective kill his partner and when the detective finds him, he blackmails the detective who has been finding it very hard to sleep. Get some sleep... it is a nightmare in Nightmute for the detectives!
Gripping thriller Insomnia is a good thriller thats worth buying for many reasons:
Its a top notch cast. Al Pacino gives one of his his finest late performances as the detective who can't sleep investigating a murder. Robin Williams matches Pacino in his second great role that year (see One Hour Photo for the other), and the always good Hilary Swank gives a very good performance supporting the two main leads.
The director is Christopher Nolan (Memento, Batman Begins, The Prestige), who seems to have a natural talent for these type of films. He does a fine job with the actors as well as capturing the sometimes haunting nature of the Alaskan landscape. Nolan is helped by a taught script, and with a running time of less than 2 hours, you will find it difficult to sleep through.
I haven't seen the original 1997 version of this film. From what I've heard its the better of the two, which means it must be very good. However for a mainstream Hollywood movie this remake is remarkably restrained and makes compulsive viewing.
Insomnia is a Good Suspense Movie "Insomnia" is a combination of cat and mouse suspense between the murderer in this movie played by Robin Williams & that of a seasoned, hot shot, LA detective played by Al Pacino AND whether or not Pacino's character is in fact a good cop or good cop made into a bad cop by the system.
The acting and storyline are good, but not great in "Insomnia". Robin Williams isn't as convincing as the bad guy in this movie and the movie could have been a tad less predictable in the ending, but otherwise a good movie overall.
"Wild card!" 2002's "Insomnia" is one of the most quietly melancholy American movies I've ever seen--all the characters (with the exception of Hillary Swank's annoyingly idealistic female detective Ellie Burr) are somehow grimy and have something to hide.
Robin Williams plays a really good creep. "One Hour Photo" was a movie with a lot of potential that ultimately went nowhere, but he sure makes up for it here as the effeminate failed writer and murderer of a 17 year old girl. Williams successfully underplays the role of a neurotic psychopath (Walter Finch) whose pathos we see emerge in the smallest and most pivotal moments, thereby making them even more disturbing.
The cinematography is damn near perfect--the Alaskan wilderness is a perfect backdrop for Det Will Dormer's (Al Pacino) psychological meltdown and inability to sleep. The time zone and his entire life is closing in on him slowly: a previous investigation in which he planted evidence to convict another child killer is beginning to catch up with him. On top of this, his younger partner (Martin Donovan) is forced to make a deal with internal affairs about the matter. As if things could get worse, he accidentally shoots and kills him in a foggy gun battle where Finch is lurking.
He is then forced to sink so low as to collaborate with Finch himself, who orchestrated the incident precisely for control of not only his fate but Dormer's. The whole theme of dishonesty, even in the service of a just cause, gracefully winds around Dormer's neck like a noose. The ending is as devastating as the entire film, with Swank's character given the hope of redemption out of all this corruption. A must see.
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