Review of Insomnia (2002) by Brett C — 08 Nov 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

After seeing Interstellar, I wanted to go watch an early Christopher Nolan film, just to remind me of the days when he used to make films with straight forward intentions. The first film that sprung up on my mind was his debut film, Following, but sadly I cannot find a copy of that film here in Australia, so the next best thing would be Insomnia; I know I could have went with Memento but I have seen it already and this would have been a wonderful opportunity to explore uncharted areas of his filmography.

Watching Insomnia after Interstellar came as a bit of a shock to me. Due to the last few films I have seen from the director have been large scope productions, it was so refreshingly surprising to see that Nolan could actually create such a grounded and narratively focused film. I came into this film thinking and hoping, that this would be Nolan's sleeper classic; the one that seemed pleasant and enjoyable at the time of release, but is thrillingly beautiful and highly engaging in retrospect. Insomnia does not live up to my ridiculous expectations, but it certainly proved to be a more stable effort in comparison to his pre-The Dark Knight features, where they have the potential to continually drop in praise as time passes; while this film could only go higher with praise during subsequent viewings.

As I have previously noted, Insomnia's plot in comparison to Nolan's trademark films, is lesser in ambition and overall execution. Though Memento plays out like a character study, it felt more like a film that is driven with its style rather than substance; hence my drop in appreciation via repeated viewings. Insomnia is definitely a character driven film, and since Nolan is not driving his narrative with a particular brand of storytelling, the film was able to come off balanced and grounded.

The film driving plot revolves around the murder of a young girl in Alaska, led by two detectives who have been dispatched to the area from Los Angeles. Behind this mystery crime storyline, lies personal troubles and character development on Will Dormer; eventually this element of the story converges with the primary plot driver, creating an effective blend of mystery and psychology. Of course as the film goes on, it becomes less and less of a mystery and more of a psychological tale, advocating themes of guilt and reputation. I found this personal aspect of the screenplay effective, allowing the film to reach slightly beyond the shallowness of its driving plot, and the fact that the writers were able to bring the two sides of the film together and not allowing it to get messy is certainly a feat.

In its execution, Nolan gives Insomnia an icy and murky vibe to correlate with the protagonist's internal fears and anxiety. The film's atmosphere may not reach the intensity and depth that Fincher has brought to his straight shooting thriller, Seven, but I admire Nolan for attempting to give the film a personality. I have yet to see the original film that this was based on, so I cannot state whether or not Nolan has undertaken some artistic changes to the tone or style of the film; but if there is one thing I can guarantee that Nolan attempted to achieve differently from the original, is that he allowed the film to be accessible. Insomnia may be a run of the mill thriller by Hollywood, but going through the film, it is clear that Nolan has respect for the screenplay and would do the best he can to meet the demands of his producers while also maintaining the integrity of the film.

The film may feature a star-studded cast, but do not expect anything amazing or out of the ordinary. Al Pacino brings his usual strong effort but I felt he could have brought so much more to a role that is layered with psychology; though it is not completely his fault as Insomnia is a victim of the Hollywood system, therefore the film is shaped and contained in a way that would serve "accessible" to its audience. Hilary Swank plays a thankless role in this film, lacking in deep character insight and acts as more of a tool to push the story; especially during the film's climax. Robin Williams was the highlight of this film, but that is not saying much, as though his role in this film is different and darker than his previous roles, it does not achieve the level of depth or impact that his best roles were able to achieve.

Insomnia does not stand side by side with Nolan's most impressive work, but it also does not stand along with his worst. Insomnia is Christopher Nolan's most underappreciated film by the general public, and I feel this is really unfair as the film definitely delivers more than of what is expected; interesting characters, clever storytelling, and moody direction.