Rent Insomnia (2002)

Al Pacino caught up in a gripping police investigation in the far North - Insomnia review by Philip in Paradiso

This is a detective story that is mostly unusual because of the ever-present geographical environment, i.e. a very small town – it feels more like an outpost of civilisation in the Arctic – in Alaska. (It would appear that most of the film was actually shot in British Columbia, in Canada.) At that time of year, there is no night in the far North: this plays an important part in the story, as it means that Al Pacino (Will Dormer, the senior investigator sent from Los Angeles) cannot get any sleep throughout his stay. [Incidentally, the solution to this problem would have been to have thick curtains put up in his hotel room: based on personal experience, if you have thick curtains – white on the outside and dark on the inside – you can sleep very well while the sun is bright and shining outside.]

Dormer arrives in Alaska with his 'partner', a young police detective from LAPD. A local teenage girl has been murdered and the 2 LAPD police officers have been sent over to assist in the investigation. Dormer is under pressure back in Los Angeles, due to allegations concerning his unorthodox police methods: he is being investigated by LAPD's Internal Affairs Department. A young detective based locally, Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), who admires and has studied extensively Dormer's track record and career, is tasked with assisting the 2 LAPD detectives. Early on, Dormer hears from the murderer, who is a manipulative individual with clear psychopathic tendencies. The film develops from here, into a high-stake cat-and-mouse game between the seasoned police officer, Dormer, and the murderer.

This is an excellent film from start to finish. It works on every level. The atmosphere of a small town in Alaska is re-created in a striking way. The ever-present and threatening nature of the geographical environment weighs heavily. The acting is very good: Al Pacino, as usual, is credible as the tough LAPD detective; Hilary Swank – her character and her performance – shines right through the movie. The very good reviews regarding this film are justified: it is a classic.

Nolan's masterpiece. A stunning, perfectly acted & flawlessly made incredible achievement - Insomnia review by Timmy B

This film is incredible. It shows 3 of our greatest actors, giving some of the most moving & emotional performances I've ever seen. I still say that to this day, it is Nolan's best film, head & shoulders above The Dark Knight. It is a journey into the complete destruction of a cop & his desperate battle for redemption, whilst his world & sanity collapse around him.

Will Dormer is a celebrated & revered LA detective, who has been sent to the isolated & sleepy Alaskan town of Nightmute. Whilst the pretense of this is to assist the local police in helping to solve the brutal murder of a young woman, the real reason is due to an incendiary Internal Affairs investigation against Dormer & his colleagues which is threatening to overturn his entire career/convictions; his partner also informs him that he going to cut a deal to testify against him. Whilst pursuing a suspect in the fog, Dormer's partner is killed & the suspect in the young girl's murder begins to relentlessly psychologically manipulate the mentally shattered detective. Added into this, the insomnia due to the 24 hour sunshine starts to destroy the remaining sanity he had.

Pacino has made a career out of playing cops, with mainly incredible success, such as Vincent Hanna in Heat. However, what Dormer has which for me is much more profoundly moving is that whilst both characters have a very strong moral core, Dormer's is literally destroying him. The trauma of what he has seen & experienced has turned him into a hollow shell. Also, crucially Dormer doesn't have any type of marriage or support that is referenced, irrelevant of whether that relationship is falling apart (like in Heat.)

I also loved the fact that as much as Ellie was the excitable young cop keen to work with her hero (much like the actress in real life,) I also could see her turning into a Dormer herself, as the brutality of the work started to destroy her. The final act of care that is given to her by Dormer is made all the more profound to me because of this.

And completing this triumvirate is Robin Williams as Walter Finch, who for me was the best of all of them. I simply could not take my eyes off him, plus the formation of & acting of his character was perfection. Rather than a stereotypical bad guy, he is instead the complete reality of what in 99% of cases you would find someone who has committed that crime would be: a totally calm & in control person, but alongside that a deeply sad & lonely loser. His manipulation of Dormer is a masterclass of confession, twisting of reality & control.

The final thing I want to say, which almost never gets recognised enough, is the incredible soundtrack. David Julyan has crafted one of the most creepy, wonderful & brilliantly morose pieces of work, which if the film didn't have, would have significantly less impact than it did. It is still a soundtrack I listen to regularly, with it's masterpiece being "Let Me Sleep."

Everything in this movie is perfect, wonderful, flawless brilliance. It still stands to this day as the absolute pinnacle of Nolan's ability to craft incredible & gut-wrenchingly devastating emotional work.

An out-and-out masterpiece