Review of Insomnia (2002) by Dillinger P — 13 Aug 2014

After showcasing an unquestionable talent with, Memento and Following, its no wonder stars were cuing up to work with new hot shot director, Chris Nolan. Insomnia, has all the trademarks of a good and faithful Nolan film, the story is rich, the actors and characters and rich and full of subtext and the visuals are stunning.

However this, slightly controlled effort, has a lack of charm and eligance that we, the Nolan fans, have over years became to love and expect of him. Insomnia follows Detective Dormer and Eckheart, who are sent to Alaska to investigate a bizarre murder case.

When it turns out that Dormer has a dirty secret and the real murderer Finch has been following his every move, it soon becomes a game of cat and mouse, trying to appreciate each others situations, without hindering the others.

Its strong material and the cast pull off a fantastic job of bringing us into the world. Pacino is a gods gift as Dormer, bringing him a seriousness, yet fragile, old detective, who has so much to lose yet so much to gain.

Swank plays Ellie an adoring fan of Dormer, who sticks by the book and tries to use her short time working with him, to use as a teaching ground. She works well. However its Robin Williams tour de force that really rattles our cage, he shows off a never before seen side of the comic genius that haunts and disturbs, equally as it envelops and grows a fondness for the antagonist.

He plays it with such subteltiey and finesse that we at points, completely forget the actor behind the character. Visually its stunning too, yet again not Wally's strongest moment but he captures Alaska and its never changing sun outage, with maximum effect.

Where this film lacks however is its blend. The story is well worthy and the cast to follow. However the film soon turns into a showcase of talent rather than the intricate masterpieces to follow Nolans work.

It becomes more about Al and Robin, less about the bigger picture. It has all the trademarks of Nolan, yet it all seems too familiar. This can be forgiven, as he doesnt deliver a bad piece of work, just rather a more conventional piece of cinema.

Strong performances, great visuals a haunting score and a decent enough story hold our attention and make this an outing worth seeing, however, Nolan is capable of far superior things, as we all learned shortly after this films release.