We're getting extremely close to the release of Inception, and I still have one Nolan film that I have yet to see. It's unfortunately difficult to find a copy of his first film, Following. Luckily, I've finally gotten the chance to see Insomnia, and I was a little worried about the film. It's the only film Nolan's directed that didn't come from his own screenplay. This film could've easily turned out to be awful, but it was right up there with the best of Chris Nolan.The film follows detective Dormer (Al Pacino) who investigates a murder in Alaska, a land where the sun is always present. Dormer starts suffering from Insomnia, due in part to the midnight sun, but perhaps even more so by the guilt of a terrible act commited by Dormer. As the killer gets in contact with Dormer and starts messing with his head, the facts of the case lead Dormer to the choice of exposing the killer, and in so doing, exposing his own dark secret. It follows the theme of moral consequences that stem through all of Nolan's films.
This could've easily been a failure, but the star cast really lifted this film above the norm, with Pacino, Hillary Swank (Boys Don't Cry), and Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting) all turning in amazing performances at the top of their form. Swank's character was pretty simplistic, but she pulled the character off as a nescessity to the story, rather than dead weight. The real success of the film is Williams, who brings the perfect mix of emotional distress, and criminalistic sociopath to have us hating him for his acts, but loving him for his charm.
Nolan keeps this very tightly directed, working over time to make a compelling story, and it often works in the film. The plot does drag a bit in the mid section, as if it doesn't really know where to go next. Fortunately, it's unpredictable enough to keep us guessing until the end. I found myself gripped in a way that a film viewed at home can rarely rip out of me. Wally Pfister brings together some of his best, most textured work here, and it really is a beautiful shot and lit film. At least we know that Nolan is very nearly as good at picking scripts as he is at writing them.
3.5 out of 4 stars
Nolans portrayal of phsychological changes is above and beyond what all others have done. As one used to being up for days on end, the ride that "Insomnia" takes you on is a perfect example of the stresses that it can put one under. Pair the psychological ailment with a compelling classic cop story, absolute genius.
ReplyDeleteMemento is great, Dark Knight is batman, but until Inception comes out, Insomnia is the nolan film that keeps me up at the edge of my seat.