May 23, 2002

Insomnia
(Warner Bros) Rated R
Release Date - May 24, 2002

Insomnia is a remake of, well, Insomnia, the Erik Skjoldberg (unavoidably misspelled in English) film from 1997, starring Stellan Skarsgard.  It has none of the expected markings of a remake.  Christopher Nolan is an original voice.  Al Pacino is half the size of Stellan Skarsgard, demanding a very different performance.  The script was re-written by a first-time credited screenwriter, Hillary Seitz.  Robin Williams is getting attention for playing a bad guy, but what is most marked about his performance is that it is completely natural and restrained.  And Hilary Swank plays what may be a career-saving role as a smart, attractive, real character, whose sexuality is non-issue. 

Insomnia is a mirror movie, asking viewers to consider where the line is between good and evil, between heroism and villainy, between nightmare and reality.  Pacino’s turn as a hero cop searching for a killer while carrying baggage that gets heavier and heavier is well worth the price of admission.  It is not one of his great performances.  It is not really Oscar bait.  But it is solid, one-of-the-best-actors-in-the-world kind of work.  You can feel his deterioration.  And even more impressive for a film performance, you can feel his energy shifting throughout the film… when it wanes, when he turns it up, the time he needs to recover from each expenditure of excitement.