Review: Insomnia (2002)

RIP Robin Williams. A year on and it still hurts...

 

 

***** SPOILER WARNING ***** Although this film is more character study than whodunit, those who don’t want the killer’s identity revealed may want to skip this review, as I make it pretty clear who it is. But then, so does the film about halfway in. Anyway. So turn back now ye weary travellers if spoilers not what ye be seeking. Arrrrrr. No, I have no idea why I’m talking like a pirate. It’s not weird, right?

 

Al Pacino and Martin Donovan are LA detectives under investigation by IA over evidence planting, the latter of whom is contemplating cutting a deal. They find themselves in a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. Already an insomniac, Pacino is thrown for a loop by the 24 hour sunlight of Alaska. They think they have the killer (believed to be an author, played by Robin Williams) trapped one day, but the seriously thick fog sees him getting away and tragedy striking as a cop is mistakenly killed instead. Pacino, seemingly unsure of whether the stray bullet came from him or not (he thinks he shot the killer, but he most likely didn’t), tampers with the evidence to shift the blame off of him and onto the killer. And that’s when the killer starts messing with Pacino, calling him at all hours. A weird kind of relationship begins between the two, with the killer knowing he has Pacino somewhat in a tight spot as he knows Pacino has tampered with evidence to clear his name (in a shooting that is clearly an accident, mind you). He even tries to convince Pacino to shift the blame for the girl’s murder onto her supposedly abusive boyfriend and away from him. But has he sucked Pacino in nearly as much as he thinks? Is this guy even the killer? Hillary Swank is the eager beaver young Alaskan cop, Katharine Isabelle and Jonathan Jackson are the best friend and boyfriend of the deceased, Paul Dooley and Nicky Katt are cops, and Maura Tierney plays a local hotel manager who befriends Pacino and Donovan.

 

A remake of a 1997 Norwegian film, this 2002 crime-thriller from Christopher Nolan (“Memento”, “The Prestige”, “The Dark Knight”, “Inception”) is really atmospheric stuff. Al Pacino has one of his finest hours in decades here, with a nicely modulated performance. He’s mostly pretty low-key and appropriately zombified in appearance, perfect casting really. He yells once or twice, but because he’s so relatively quiet the rest of the time, it works, and comes off as less typical ‘Shouty Al’ and more a character authentically acting out in the moment. It’s a terrific, weary performance that anchors the film.

 

The late Robin Williams, meanwhile, gives us one of his two great villainous turns here, the other being the seriously creepy “One Hour Photo”. He’s not on screen nearly as much in this one, but it’s just so amazing that someone so ebullient, warm-hearted and good-natured could be so effectively emotionless and sociopathic here. Robin Williams, ladies and gentlemen. Versatile actor, great comedian, complex human being, sorely and tragically missed. His characterisation is meek yet cunning and quietly creepy.

 

Hillary Swank has never really managed to capitalise on her one-two punch of Oscar wins for “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby”, and this role certainly wasn’t anything noteworthy. However, she is nonetheless perfectly (and convincingly) sweet and naïve, but also capable of playing ultimately a very competent cop. I hope Ms. Swank once again finds interesting roles to play, she certainly has the talent, even if she does have her limits (playing a femme fatale in the awful “Black Dahlia” was a tragic mistake). Nicky Katt also has a fun small role as an irritable local cop who doesn’t like the big city boys moving in on his territory. Meanwhile, what the hell ever became of Jonathan Jackson? He was shaping up to almost be somebody around this time and then…I dunno, it’s been a long time since I last recall seeing him. He’s believably troubled here.

 

Another character in the film is Alaska itself. The later horror flick “30 Days of Night” certainly made good use of its bizarro weather patterns. This is probably the best work to date from Nolan’s usual go-to cinematographer Wally Pfister (“Inception”). Sure, the scenery does a lot of the work, but Pfister deserves credit for capturing it and using it to great effect. I could never live in Alaska. The cold and snow would be bad enough, but I couldn’t deal with perpetual daylight. That would surely fuck you up six ways to Sunday. What does an insomniac do in such a circumstance then? Move somewhere else, I’d suggest.

 

Wonderfully atmospheric, well-acted, and engrossing, it’s probably Nolan’s second best behind “Memento”, and just ahead of “Inception”. I really can’t fault this one. If you’re like me and enjoy a good killer-thriller, this is definitely a must, it’s one of the best. The screenplay is by debutant Hillary Seitz (who later co-wrote the appallingly silly “Eagle Eye”), from the earlier film. Apparently Nolan wrote the final draft of the film himself, however.

 

Rating: B