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.

"Insomnia" is a film directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Both actors (especially Pacino) had a strong tendency to overact and I attribute the more subtle performances to Nolan's direction. It also was originally a Norwegian film (1997) and unfortunately I have not yet seen this original picture.

Detective Will Dormer (Pacino) and his partner are sent from Los Angeles to Alaska to help the locals work on a murder case in a small village. When Will is able to figure out where the killer (Williams) is, the apprehension goes south VERY quickly. When the surround the suspects home, it's very foggy...and the creep is able to sneak away because of the fog. In the process, there's a shootout and in the confusion and weather conditions, the creep escapes AND Will accidentally shoots his partner.

Instead of letting folks know of the accident, Will stages it so that everyone else will think that the perp killed the detective...and Will plans on just blaming it on him. But unfortunately, Walter DID see what Will did...and soon he begins phoning Will and lets him know what he knows. Soon Walter is blackmailing Will and now solving this murder is VERY complicated and difficult, because if he does bring in this killer, Walter is sure to tell everyone what he knows about Will's shooting.

As I mentioned above, the performances by the two leads are very restrained...and I really appreciated it. Combined with good overall direction and nice location shots (most in British Columbia, not Alaska),I highly recommend the film. And, although it is a remake, I still think it's a heck of a film.

As said in my reviews for his masterpiece 'Memento' and the fascinating 'The Prestige', Christopher Nolan has always struck me as a very talented film-maker, and most of his films are ones that have impressed me a lot. Even weaker efforts, where his ambition can get in the way, have a good deal to admire. His films are all impeccably crafted technically, and often entertaining and thought-provoking, also knowing how to get good performances out of talented casts.

'Insomnia' is not one of Nolan's best films, but not his worst. For me it's somewhere in the middle if ranking his films, 'Memento' being his best and, while with a lot of impressive elements, 'Interstellar' being the one that impressed least. It shows fidelity to the Norwegian original, but doesn't go so far that it's a pale retread, in a way that is summed up very well by Roger Ebert.

Nolan directs with impeccable style and sense of atmosphere, as well as an ability to tell a potentially convoluted story with clarity without resorting to excess and over-ambition. Much of 'Insomnia' is exceptionally well made, while beautiful Alaska has rarely been more oppressive as well while the cinematography has grit and class. David Julyan's music score is not quite as complex as that for 'Memento', but has a very effective eeriness.

The script is tight and thoughtful, and the story, filled with neat twists and turns, is hugely compelling and atmospheric, never being too simple but complex enough to still be understandable and be respectful to the viewer. The cat and mouse stuff could have been predictable and convoluted but executed in masterly hair-raising but also quiet tension.

Performances are all strong across the board. While underused somewhat, Martin Donovan and especially Hilary Swank are great here. It is however Al Pacino and Robin Williams who are even better. Pacino gives perhaps his best performance since 'Heat' and he has to me definitely not been on this amount of blistering form as he is in 'Insomnia'. Williams is cast against type, and he plays a genuinely terrifying character with menace but also dignity and restraint.

Flaws are only a couple, with the film ending too conveniently and some of the editing being a touch too jumpy.

All in all, a gripping film and hardly a sleeper. 8/10 Bethany Cox