Insomnia - 2002

Alcon Entertainment, Witt/Thomas Productions, Section Eight

Directed by Christoper Nolan

Cast:

• Will Dormer – Al Pacino
• Walter Finch – Robin Williams
• Ellie Burr – Hillary Swank
• Pilot – Oliver “Ole” Zemen
• Hap Eckhart – Martin Donovan
• Chief Nybeck – Paul Dooley
• Fred Duggar – Nicky Katt
• Farrell – Larry Holden
• Rachel Clement – Maura Tierney

Story: A couple of investigators are sent from Los Angeles to Nightmute, Alaska to help solve a murder in a small Alaskan town. That's one story. The other one is they were sent out of town because of an Internal Affairs investigation. So there is tension between the partners already. And the circumstances of the investigation add to them exquisitely. It's summer in Alaska, and for a town so far north, that means no night. Will Dormer, the senior partner, is having a lot of trouble with that, and the lack of sleep causes him to make mistakes. Like shooting into the fog and accidentally killing Hap Eckhart, his partner. While the killer is watching. The constant light, the lack of sleep, the paranoia that Dormer feels all lead to an unholy alliance between him and the killer. Will is caught up in a game of intrigue that can only end in one way.

Review: This is not your typical crime story. Oh, the initial crime, the murder of the young girl, is typical enough, but the players make the whole thing interesting. Al Pacino gives a brilliant performance as Will Dormer, the aging detective with sanguine experience from years of work. Robin Williams is the killer, a run of the mill minor author with poor social skills and a knowledge of forensics from his crime novels. Hillary Swank gives a new dimension to the over anxious rookie who admires Dormer, but hates the way the evidence is pointing. While not your typical crime story, the story brings a psychological depth that few films offer, an insight into the minds of the characters. Language and nudity in context are within the bounds of decency, and these days the film might have gotten a PG-14 rating instead of an R. Highly recommend this for any lover of pulp fiction.