Insomnia

Said to be a remake of a Norwegian thriller with the same title and actor Stellan Skarsgård in the lead role, the 2002 version directed by Christoper Nolan and produced by Georgle Clooney and Steven Soderbergh is made so well, that you wonder what the original must have been like. With colours of icy grey and lots of white, Nolan shapes a mysterious location that fits the story perfectly. One scene in particular stands out making it feel as if suspected murderer Walter Finch is slowly creeping up on you through the fog, as detective Will Dormer and his team are chasing him. The landscapes look amazing, giving you little chills and making the film even more intense. Telling not your usual detective story, Insomnia takes the concept to a new level, making the detective also guilty of a crime which adds a lot to the suspense. Marvelously played by Al Pacino, you watch detective Will Dormer torture himself with his guilt, being unable to sleep, he lies awake without the daylight fading to black, because in this Alaskan town where the movie takes place it happens to be the time of year it never gets dark. Both Robin Williams and Hilary Swank are very good as well playing the suspect and the young detective who still has a lot to learn. Seen again in a more serious role, instead of the comic he often plays, Williams shows once more he is good at doing both.

What is it about?

Detective Will Turner and his colleague, detective Hap Eckhart, arrive in a small town called Nightmute to investigate a murder of a teenage girl. Welcomed by fresh faced detective Ellie Burr of the local police force, they start trying to solve the murder. After having done some interrogations the team sets out to a cabin where it is said the murderer of the girl might be found. When the team arrives, Walter Finch, the suspect, isn't at his cabin yet. So when he finally arrives the team is still hiding out spying on him. When one of the cops accidentally makes a mistake Walter realises he's being watched and starts to run. Coming out from there hiding place the team start giving chase and surround the cabin Walter has entered to hide in. Once the team get in, their suspect already ran off through a hole in the floor that leads to the outside. While the rest of his team set out on a different path, detective Will Dormer jumps through the hole to get to Walter. Surrounded by fog, Dormer can't barely see anything, and isn't sure whom he's following anymore. When he notices someone standing at a distance from him, he takes the person to be Walter and fires immediately, not yet aware of the harm he has really done by this one action.

Final Verdict: ****

Strong from its very beginning, Insomnia is a very well made film that tells a great story about a detective struggling with his conscience. Good acting and a beautiful setting turn this film into something special, feeling fresh and distinguishing itself from other thrillers by adding new twists to the usual detective murder story. The beautiful shots and very interesting characters make this film into a very exciting movie that is higly entertaining and keeps your full attention until the very end. With Insomnia director Nolan once again shows he is very talented. Already having a large following his films appeal to a very broad audience that like to be lured in into a story full of twists and surprises you don't see coming. Though not as brilliant as his earlier Memento, Insomnia surely is a great film that make you forget you're actually watching a remake.