VHS Videos: Insomnia Video

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Rating: - A worthy follow up to Memento
Insomnia, director Chris Nolan's second full length feature, doesn't have the same gut-wrenching and mind-bending plot twists that his feature length debut, Memento, had, but does an excellent job telling an original and gripping detective mystery.

The pleasure of Insomnia is to be found in its rich cinematography, beautiful landscapes, and excellent performances. The movie is one of the most visually compelling pieces of filmmaking I have seen in years, creating surreal juxtapositions with the vast, harsh Alaskan landscape and with close-up shots of crime scene evidence. The amazing visual landscapes (both large and small) are used effectively by director Nolan to emphasize the films themes of isolation and overpowerment, of losing oneself within ones environment and in ones choices.

Insomnia's plot will disappoint those looking for a new Memento, in that it does not have the sort of turns of action and motivation that Memento does. Insomnia works well without elaborate plot twists, however, it's mood benefits from a certain lack of ambiguity of action, although the ending is perhaps a little to predictable and cliched. Insomnia would have benefited, however, from more ambiguity of motivation - while the acting is top notch, especially on the part of Robin Williams, the connections between the characters actions and their motivations and decisions is too closely drawn by the script.

Overall Insomnia is an excellent movie, and a good entry into the detective/suspense movie cannon. It suffers slightly from a couple of bad edits (in a movie filled with amazing editing and shooting) and from its desire to clearly spell out the principle characters motivations, but these minor flaws are more than redeemed by the director's excellent camerawork and sense of pacing, a strong script, and very solid acting performances. Insomnia is a must see movie, and a welcome change from the "blockbuster" summer movie scene of 2002.

The setting of the film is a fairly secluded town in Alaska. It's summer, so the sun never sets. Shocking the small towm folk is the violent murder of a young girl. The local police decide to bring in some LA detectives, a duo led by Al Pacino. On the surface, it seems like a logical mission. But Pacino, a legendary cop, is being investigated for misconduct. His partner recently made a deal with the DA, threatening to destroy Pacino's reputation and career. It's with this demon that Pacino tackles the case itself.

The pace of Insomnia is spot on. Slow moments are poignant, active moments are hard hitting. The situations are well explained and intriguing. Probably more interesting than the murder case itself is the inner battle inside Pacino. This turmoil is made worse by the fact that Pacino has not slept for six days by the end of the movie. His cat and mouse game with Robin Williams is well done, always dangerous and engaging.

Pacino is superb. His role deserves an Oscar nomination, if not an award. He really is the heart of the movie. He just sucks you into the story and into his own inner conflict. Some people have complained about Williams acting, but I think it is acceptable at worst. Besides, was he really expected to out act Pacino? Hillary Swank does a great job as the small town cop who admires Pacino fiercely.

A highly enjoyable follow up to Memento.

As Insomnia begins, Will (Pacino) and his partner Hap (Donavan) are being flown in to help solve the murder of a 17 year-old girl. The story takes a turn when Will kills Hap in a tense and confusing chase in the foggy terrains of Alaska. Will suffers from depression and insomnia which adds to the tension that he is suffering as the investigation continues. Walter (Robin Williams) who is a suspect in the murder is playing mind games with Will, taking advantage of his Insomnia and at the same time trying to jeopardise the investigation, while (Hillary Swank) is a rookie who idolises Will as a model detective.

The relationship that the characters develop with each other is the centrepiece of this film, so don't be expecting a serial killer film as the murder takes a back seat to the acting and character development. Pacino is excellent in this role, and no matter how many times he has played a detective before, he really polishes it off in this film. Expect an Oscar nod for him. Robin Williams might seem like a bizarre choice as a murder suspect but he is very good in this role and is given a loose leash by Nolan to have a bit of fun, throwing in some of his own humour. But his role is still very constrained considering the man played Mrs Doubtfire. Another surprise is ex-90210 regular Hillary Swank. Her performance may not be as good as her Oscar winning role as gender bender 'Brandon Tina' in "Boys Don't Cry", but it's still damn good.

Insomnia is not this years 'Sixth sense,' it plays it straight forward, but provides great thrills all the same. The scenery of Alaska is gorgeously captured and is a vital element since the environment plays a key role in this stylish thriller. Although the ending is a let down, Nolan weaves a beautiful tapestry of great acting, fantastic cinematography and a fantastic script, resulting in a beautiful film.