Last
year, Christopher Nolan made a splash with the dazzling crime thriller Memento.
With it's innovative creativity and tricky storytelling style, the film went on
to grace many top-ten lists and even garnered an Oscar nomination for it's screenplay.
The question was, could Nolan possibly top himself. With Insomnia, the director
hasn't necessarily topped himself, but rather tried something new.
In
Insomnia, Al Pacino plays Will Dormer, a veteran detective who's been sent to
Alaska to investigate a murder that leads him to mystery novelist Walter Finch
(Robin Williams), a reclusive eccentric who may be involved in the crime. Dormer
is paired with local officer Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), a wide-eyed cop ready
for some real police action.
As
was the case with Memento, Insomnia does have a gimmick. Dormer suffers from sleep
depravation because the sun doesn't go down in the town he's working in. However,
there is much more to his inability to sleep and that's one of the many unexpected
treasures of this tightly executed thriller.
While
Insomnia is not in the same serial killer thriller mold as Seven or Silence of
the Lambs (something the trailer kind of suggests), it isn't without it's share
of intensity (that chase across the logs is a real nail biter).
Nolan
has fashioned an interesting character study full of unexpected twists that revolve
around the film's characters rather than it's situations. And while there are
moments that are a tad obvious, Insomnia avoids becoming a typical, cliched thriller.
In
terms of performances, this is Pacino's show. He exhibits the intensity and realism
that made him a star all those years ago. His Dormer is determined and will do
whatever it takes while on the job, but he remains a flawed man making his character
all the more human. Hillary Swank is solid as an action seeking Burr. While she
may come across as clueless in the early goings on of the film, her intelligence
is slowly revealed throughout the picture. Finally, we have Williams who's hardly
funny here. This is one of those subtle, quiet turns that makes us all realize
how truly gifted this guy is under the right direction. Never overtly creepy or
over the top, Williams plays Finch as a real person.
Nolan
proves he's the real deal with the compelling Insomnia. Not only is he terrific
with the cast and the overall mood of the picture, he really knows how to pick
gorgeous locations. Insomnia is stunning to look at, with it's beautiful, Alaskan
landscapes.
In
a summer that is sure to be populated with big sequels and special effects extravaganzas,
Insomnia emerges as a tough movie to top. It's a thriller with style and substance
and I can't wait to see what Nolan does next.
