Insomnia poster & wallpaper

Al Pacino, Martin Donovan, Robin Williams

As a more conventional follow-up to his innovative thriller Memento, Christopher Nolan's Insomnia offers ample proof that his skills are genuine. A superbly crafted remake of the 1997 No...( read more  read more... )rwegian thriller, this moody police procedural is transplanted to a remote Alaskan town, where a veteran Los Angeles detective (Al Pacino) arrives to investigate the murder of a teenaged girl. Professional tragedy collides with psychological turmoil as the detective suffers from sleeplessness under the region's perpetual daylight, and a local rookie cop (Hilary Swank) begins to suspect that truths are being hidden as the disturbing case unfolds. While the Alaskan setting intensifies the atmospheric mystery, Pacino's bleary-eyed disorientation adds a rich layer to his character's erratic behavior, and the casting of Robin Williams as the killer was a risk that pays off nicely. In many respects better than the original, Insomnia is a Hollywood remake that's refreshingly free of compromise. --Jeff Shannon

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70,855 ratings

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167 critics

R, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Release Date: May 24, 2002

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DVD Release Date: October 15, 2002

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Flixster Reviews (2,821)

  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    Nolan proves he?s a great director in this intelligent remake.
  • Chiefilms
    September 6, 2009
    Chiefilms
    Detective psychological drama with a great cast. Robin Williams for a while went through a phase where he played bad guys, this is one of those films. Dark, slow, and eerie but it did not reach the level of intensity it could have, especially with Christopher Nolan behind the c...( read more)amera.
  • stopitgoaway
    July 19, 2009
    stopitgoaway
    I used to think that nobody could come close to Robert De Niro when it comes to who was the best actor in Hollywood but as the years went by he started to pick some real Turkeys and a in the mean while an old hand was gradually taking the crown from De Niro and that is Al Pacino....( read more) In Insomnia he has picked another cracker of a film that although not fast paced is brilliantly acted and is very watchable. Hilary Swank is superb as is Robin Williams and its refreshing to see him taking a serious role instead of sentimental trash like Patch Adams but as per usual it is Al Pacino who steals the show. He plays an insomniac Cop who gets intangled in a murder case and gets into trouble after accidently killing his partner . I cant think of an actor who looks more tired than Pacino anyway so he was perfect for the role. The story is OK but to be honest the film is more about the performances than the plot
  • Passenger1986
    June 23, 2009
    Passenger1986
    Say the word remake around most people and they hiss and act like remakes will be the downfall of movies as we know it (I disagree, I say it's the tweens market and the watering down of films just to appeal to kids but that's just me. Some might argue the watering down plus remak...( read more)ing overlap.) I'd ask about Insomnia and most would either be surprised to find out it's a remake or tell me it's the exception to the rule. And I would definitely say it is an exception.

    Will Dormer (Al Pacino, who reminds you why he gets called up for cop roles) has been sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate a murder. But while pursuing the perp, he accidentally shoots his partner, which undergoes an investigation by local cop Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank, who may be slumming it right now but I believe she'll soar back to greatness any day now). Will has a hard time trying to sleep already with the lack of darkness in Alaska, but the thoughts of his partner's death plaguing his mind doesn't help, thus enforcing that the title has more meaning.

    The perp in question is Walter Finch (Robin Williams, in one of my personal favourtie of his roles to date), a crime writer who was a mentor to the victim. Robin plays this role absolutely dead straight (no pun intended)
    and his thrust-and-parry communication with Al Pacino makes for compelling viewing. The fact that he isn't on screen or heard for nearly the first half of the movie makes it all that much more impressive.
    There's a scene in which Will and Walter talk about the crime and the shooting of Will's partner and it just reminded me of the scene from Heat (also with Pacino, thus driving the point home) in that the criminal and cop casually talk. No loud voices, no guns to head, it's like they were talking philosophy (though I did see some of it as philosophizing).

    Back to the Pacino comment about cop roles, in recent years, it's been suggested that Al's typecast as either gangsters or cops and that his work hasn't been up to scratch. And he has an "acting style" named after him, the "Pacino" which is when an actor starts a speech or just starts talking normally and eventually starts shouting so loudly. Having seen this, I ask, is it THAT bad that people ask him to be a cop in their movie? I mean, he does it so well and it's not like he does a whole lot of shouting here (with one notable exception, which works so well, but see below)

    One of his best scenes involves him interrogating a suspect. While on a drive with her, he asks questions, she comes off as slightly flirtatious. Then he drives onto the other side of the road, almost into a truck, to scare her. They get to a dump and he's now a little furious. He demands answers out of her and she's on the verge of a breakdown. Ladies and gentlemen, that is why you don't mess with Pacino-in-cop mode.

    Nolan saw a good film and decided to share it with us in a language more familiar to us. Most people don't seem to mind, nor do I. Nolan is virtually untouchable.
  • ironclad1609
    May 23, 2009
    ironclad1609
    This very unusual cop thriller is a remake of a Norwegian film but easily superior to the original. That's not only thanks to Al Pacino as sleepless cop trying to solve a murder case in never-dark Alaska and Robin Williams in a very unusual role for him, everything about this fil...( read more)m is top notch. The soundtrack, the minor actors, the cinematography, the plot, raising questions of morale, right and wrong without using stereotypes of good cop and bad murderer. It's also early proof why director Christoper Nolan is now in charge of some of the most successful and best films of recent years (The Prestige, The Dark Knight): the man is one of the most gifted of his generation. This exciting, gloomy, intelligent thriller is just another highlight in his résumé.
  • Yelverton
    November 20, 2009
    Yelverton
    Crazy psychological thriller.
  • ythelastman89
    November 18, 2009
    ythelastman89
    Christopher Nolan obviously knows what is necessary for a film to work. Great performances from Al Pacino and Hilary Swank, I really liked their chemistry. I never thought i'd be able to take Robin Williams seriously as a devious killer, but he pulled it off really nicely. It's a...( read more)n above average thriller with a lot more artistic expression than you normally get.
  • odonoghuematthew
    November 12, 2009
    odonoghuematthew
    Best Supporting actress 2002
  • cmkempf
    November 11, 2009
    cmkempf
    Think for a moment about any director who made his/her Hollywood debut with one of the greatest films of all time. Not many directors come to mind right there. Now imagine these directors improving in their second turn. I don't think anyone comes to mind.

    So asking Chris...( read more)topher Nolan to one-up "Memento" would be like asking Michaelangelo to duplicate the Sistine Chapel if it were his first painting.

    That said, Nolan does do well with his second film, a remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller. And while "Insomnia" is much more conventional than the non-linear and groundbreaking "Memento," all the pieces are in place for a solid film: Good storytelling, good acting (provided by the great cast of Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank), terrific suspense and great character arc.

    The casting of Robin Williams here in the role of the villain is brilliant, in my mind. In Williams' character, Walter Finch, we must see a soft side to the killer, and Williams, in his more serious moments, portrays one of the softest personas on the screen.

    While I thought there was something lacking in Pacino's performance, it was still solid, and the editing made his performance more believable, which is a testament to Nolan and his crew.

    While this can't be compared to "Memento," it is a well-crafted thriller with twists and turns that keep you glued to your seat, basically what we can come to expect our of a Christopher Nolan film.
  • EbertsLittleApprentice
    October 21, 2009
    EbertsLittleApprentice
    I am not sure why, But Insomnia is more like Bordenia.

View All Insomnia Reviews

Critic Reviews

May 24, 2002
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

Pacino, his creased face looking like it's been aged in a smokehouse, is wonderfully bleary as the increasingly confused Dormer. full review

May 24, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A haunting psychological drama. full review

May 24, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Unlike most remakes, the Nolan Insomnia is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play. full review

May 8, 2002
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Thoughtful, gripping and steeped in action that defines character. full review

View more Insomnia reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments

  • itbegins2005
    July 15, 2008
    itbegins2005
    Probably my least favorite Christopher Nolan film, which really isn't saying much considering I love his whole filmography (save the Following, only because I have yet to see it).
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Insomnia Trivia

  • What links this movies? It Insomnia Carrie Misery The Shining   Answer »
  • The Cure for Insomnia (1987) is the longest movie ever made at a total running time of 85 hours (5,220 min) . It premiered in its entirety at The School Of The Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois from January 31 to February 3, 1987, in one continuous showing.   Answer »
  • True or False: George Clooney is partly responsible (behind the camera) for the movies: Good Night and Good Luck, Insomnia, and Rock Star.  Answer »
  • In "The Machinist" what does Christian Bale's character suffer from?  Answer »
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