Insomnia (2002/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA):

Hillary Seitz (screenplay)
Nikolaj Frobenius (1997 screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 May 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Days never end. Nightmares are real. No one is innocent.

Plot:

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Alaska | Insomnia | Police Detective

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Will Dormer
Robin Williams	...	Walter Finch
Hilary Swank	...	Ellie Burr
Oliver 'Ole' Zemen	...	Pilot
Martin Donovan	...	Hap Eckhart
Paul Dooley	...	Chief Nyback
Nicky Katt	...	Fred Duggar
Larry Holden	...	Farrell
Jay Brazeau	...	Francis
Lorne Cardinal	...	Rich
James Hutson	...	Officer #1
Andrew Campbell	...	Officer #2
Paula Shaw	...	Coroner
Crystal Lowe	...	Kay Connell
Tasha Simms	...	Mrs. Connell

Also Known As:

Insomnie (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (edited version) | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (NO. 38846)

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Alcon Entertainment

Trivia:

Detective Will Dormer's surname may be derived from the Latin verb "dormire" (and subsequently the Spanish verb "dormir"), which means "to sleep".

Goofs:

Continuity: When the character is dying on the beach, the blood smear on his cheek changes noticeably between shots.

Quotes:

Det. Ellie Burr: A good cop can't sleep because he's missing a piece of the puzzle. And a bad cop can't sleep because his conscience won't let him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Batman: The Journey Begins (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Sparks

Good Acting Elevates This 'Sleeper'

Al Pacino's acting once again is a highlight of a film he's in. He has the capacity to dominate a film with his presence. In this re-make of the Norwegian film, Pacino is excellent as a good-yet-tainted policeman who starts to unravel after not sleeping for four or five days. The Alaskan summer, with light 24 hours of day, can do that to visitors

Robin Williams, meanwhile, plays a killer. It's funny how comedians can do so well playing dramatic roles and Williams is a prime example. He's especially good at creepy nut-cases (See "One Hour Photo") Williams doesn't enter the movie until about halfway through and he's fascinating in a low-key role (until the end).

For a modern-day crime film, this doesn't have a lot of action but that's fine if the acting is this good and the story involving. Here, the acting is better than the story. Kudos to Hillary Swank, too, for her performance as the cop.

The Alaskan scenery ain't bad, either.