Insomnia (2002)

 3.5/4

Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Nicky Katt, Paul Dooley, Martin Donovan

Rated R for Language, Some Violence and Brief Nudity

"Insomnia" is a psychological thriller.  It's about people and why they do what they do.  There isn't much in the way of conventional action like chases (there is one, but it's short and not especially important).  This is about a cop in a situation with no good solutions, and a killer who knows this all too well.

Legendary detective Will Dormer (Pacino) has been flown to Alaska with his partner Hap (Donovan) to solve a murder.  Seventeen-year-old Kay Connell was found murdered, and it's their job to find out who killed her.  Helping them in their efforts are the ambitious Ellie Burr (Swank) and the cocky Fred Duggar (Katt).  Will and Hap are debating how to move forward on an Internal Affairs investigation back home.  They, especially Will, have a habit of skirting the law to nab their suspects.  They do that here, only something unexpected happens.  This is seen by the killer, a local author named Walter Finch (Williams), who uses this to his advantage.

This was a make-it-or-break-it effort for Christopher Nolan.  After he took Hollywood by storm with his brilliant film "Memento," he was given the reins to make a big budget feature with an A-list cast.  He knocks it out of the park, creating a thriller that is not only suspenseful, but smart.  It showed that he was a real filmmaker and not just a one-trick pony.

One of the things that he does is make use of the setting to enhance the psychological struggles of the lead character.  Alaska is a cold and dreary place.  It constantly feels like it's early morning, even when it's not (credit must go to Wally Pfister, whose camerawork is breathtaking in its beauty and effectiveness).  More importantly, Alaska is in the middle of endless daylight, which makes it impossible for Will to sleep.  Will is already weary, but going without sleep for days takes its toll.  Nolan gets us inside his head with intentionally awkward editing, playing with sound and light, jump cuts, and the like.  We see what he sees and experience it along with him.

Nolan was able to attract two acting legends, Al Pacino and Robin Williams, to the project and they don't disappoint.  Pacino plays Will as a man with a lifetime of experience and world weariness.  He is very good at his job, and knows just what to look for.  But it's the scenes where he battles fatigue and guilt that show the true power of his performance.  His whole body seems to sag, and his eyes can barely keep themselves open.  He desperately wants to sleep, but can't.  It is driving him mad.  Robin Williams is equally good in a remarkable departure from his usual zaniness.  It's easy to forget that Williams's improvisation and personation can translate to effective dramatic performances.  He has no problem playing a spineless, squirrelly creep (anyone remember "One Hour Photo"?).  The other member of the main cast, Hilary Swank, is effective, but can't match their intensity.  The role of the perky, smart local cop is within her limited range, but she's just not as interesting.  When she is off screen, we don't miss her or think about her.

"Insomnia," which is based on a Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgard, isn't a perfect movie, but it can stand proudly alongside Nolan's other works.  The combination of mystery, existential dread, and guilt is powerful in its impact.  In fact, there are echoes of Martin Scorcese to be found here as well, although only "Silence" was this bleak.  For those who like thrillers or are Nolan fans and are unaware of this movie, it isn't one to miss!