Insomnia
I don't understand it. Insomnia opened on Memorial Day weekend and ended up in third place for weekend box-office earnings, ONLY third place! This dark thriller stars three Academy Award-winning actors, two of which are superstars. Let's not forget who directed it -- Christopher Nolan, who has become one of the hottest directors since his indie hit Memento started kicking ass in rental and retail stores. Moviegoers have been demanding more quality films, but when this one came along, they didn't show it enough respect. Now that Insomnia is in stores, you have another chance to see it for the first time or to watch it again.
Al Pacino (The Godfather trilogy) stars as Will Dormer, a celebrated yet unethical detective from Las Angeles. He and his partner Hap Eckhart travel to a small Alaskan town to help solve the murder of a 17-year-old girl (and to get away from an Internal Affairs investigation of their professional conduct). There, Eckhart and Dormer meet a gung-ho detective (Hilary Swank, Oscar winner for Boys Don't Cry) who admires Dormer. The detectives learn through an investigation that the victim spent time with an older male who had bought many pricey gifts for her. The friend was also the last one to see the victim alive.
Shortly into the investigation, Dormer fatally shoots Eckhart in the middle of a fog, confusing Eckhart for the killer. Dormer blames the unidentified killer for the shooting, but the guilt prevents the detective from sleeping. A day or so later, Will receives a phone call from a local novelist named Walter Finch (Robin Williams, Good Will Hunting). Finch witnessed Eckhart's shooting and admits to killing his friend, the 17-year-old girl. An informal confession isn't enough to arrest Finch; Dormer must prove his guilt. If that isn't difficult enough, Dormer's sleep-starved brain distorts his reality.
This is Robin Williams' second of three (so far) villainous roles in 2002. The first one was a vengeful kids-show rhino in Death to Smoochie. The third dark role was an obsessive film developer in One Hour Photo. Some viewers may not like Williams playing against type after 20 years of warm and likable characters. I, however, enjoy seeing Williams employing his full acting potential. He's one of the most talented actors in the business, and he deserves better roles than his recent films.
Even though the fictional setting calls for 24-hour sunlight, the movie has a dark tone. The darkness rests in Dormer's heart. He plants incriminating evidence in the suspects's residences for the purpose of ensuring convictions. Dormer believes he is justified, but he's really violating the police code. Earlier in the movie, Eckhart reveals that he will cut a deal to save his ass. From Dormer's perspective, Eckhart's death was purely accidental. This turn of events begs the question, "Is Dormer truly sorry he killed his partner?"
When it was released in theatres, Insomnia was the best film of the year until Road to Perdition came along. It's possible that Insomnia might be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. It's almost guaranteed that Robin Williams will be nominated for this movie or for One Hour Photo. If not, I'll eat my "I'm Drunk" T-shirt!
Send any comments/ feedback to the author.
Getting piss-drunk will make your perceptions as fudged-up as Dormer's. However, you might miss a great thriller.
There isn't much in this film that starts up a romantic mood.
Buy this film from Amazon.com
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1) Top 10 Pacino Films
2) Top 10 Directors Under 35
3) Memento
4) The Godfather Trilogy
5) Good Will Hunting
