Al Pacino plays this cop, looking like a man who has lost every ray of hope. His partner Hap Eckhart, played by Martin Donovan, is younger, more flexible and might be prepared to tell the internal affairs investigators what they want to hear – information that may bring this cop down. They have been sent to Alaska to help with the local investigation, flying into Nightmute in a two-engine prop plane that flies low over torn ice ridges. They’ll be helping a local cop named Ellie Burr, played by Hilary Swank, who is still hot since she is new to the job.
Roger Ebert mentioned this in his review:
"Insomnia," the first film directed by Christopher Nolan since his famous "Memento" (2001), is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name, made in 1998 by Erik Skjoldbjaerg. That was a strong, atmospheric, dread-heavy film, and so is this one. Unlike most remakes, the Nolan "Insomnia" is not a pale retread, but a re-examination of the material, like a new production of a good play. Stellan Skarsgard, who starred in the earlier film, took an existential approach to the character; he seemed weighed down by the moral morass he was trapped in. Pacino takes a more physical approach: How much longer can he carry this burden? The story involves an unexpected development a third of the way through, and then the introduction of a character we do not really expect to meet, not like this. The development is the same in both movies; the character is much more important in this new version, adding a dimension I found fascinating. Spoilers will occur in the next paragraph, so be warned.
Ebert went on to say, “The pivotal event in both films, filmed much alike, is a shoot-out in a thick fog during a stakeout.” Dormer sets a trap for this murderer, but the suspect hides away in the fog, and then Dormer, noticing an unclear figure appear in front of him, shoots and kills Hap, his partner from LA. It is easy enough to restraint the murder on the escaping murderer, except that one person knows exactly who did it: the escaping murderer himself.
Ebert also mentioned, “In the Norwegian film, the local female detective begins to develop a circumstantial case against the veteran cop. In a nice development in the rewrite (credited to original authors Nikolaj Frobenius and Skjoldbjaerg, working with Hillary Seitz), the killer introduces himself into the case as sort of Pacino's self-appointed silent partner.”
The face of the murderer, the first time we see it, comes shockingly, because by now we have forgotten that the late Robin Williams was in this movie. He plays Walter Finch, who does not really call himself a murderer, although his murder was brutal and cruel. Everyone should be forgiven one slide, right detective? Dormer, who can’t sleep in the town where the sun never sets, is stuck: If he arrests Finch, he exposes himself and his own cover-up, and the local detective seems to suspect something.
Unusual, for a thriller to center on issues of morality and guilt, and Nolan’s remake doesn’t avoid the necessary Hollywood requirement that all thrillers must end in a shoot-out. There is also a scene involving a chase across floating logs, and a scene where a character is stuck underwater. Ebert commented, “These are thrown in as--what? Sops for the cinematically impaired, I suppose.” Only a studio executive could explain why we need unthinking action, just for the action’s sake, in a film where psychological suspense is at a high level.
Pacino and Williams are excellent together. Their scenes work because Dormer, in regarding Williams, is forced to look at the mirror of his own self-dishonesty. The two faces are polar opposites of one another. Pacino is wrinkled, tired, dark circles under his eyes, his jaw limp with fatigue. Williams has the smooth, open face of a true believer, a man convinced of his own issue. In this film and “One-Hour Photo,” which played at Sundance 2002 and was released later that year, Williams reminded us that he was a considerable dramatic talent – and that while, over the years, he had chosen to appear in comedies that critics didn’t like, his serious roles were almost always good ones.
Why Nolan decided to remake this film is easy to understand. Ebert said, “"Memento" was one of a kind; the thought of another film based on a similar enigma is exhausting.” “Insomnia” is a film with a lot of room for Nolan, who establishes a typical far-north location, a world where difficulties of the big city are smoothed out into clear choices. The evidence that it is always daylight is important: The problem of this cop is that he feels people are always looking at him, and he has nowhere to hide, not even in his nightmares.
Pacino said that Williams was his idol and that whenever Pacino was being funny in anything, he tried to be like Williams, since Pacino used to do stand-up comedy when he was younger. This is the only film that Pacino and Williams worked together on, and it wasn’t funny, which would have been nice if they had starred in a comedy. Pacino said that Williams was a sweetheart and he really liked working with him. Swank said that Pacino came from the school of “Do it as many times as you can,” and even said to her, “Just play.” Swank also said that Williams was the smartest person she had ever met. Williams had the trait of telling stories and jokes in between takes, and Williams would move on to the next joke so quick that Swank was still on the first one. She even asked him, “Do you ever get tired?” Obviously he didn’t since he gave so much to people.
Anyways, you must watch this movie. It’s very scary, but that’s what makes it so good. I would probably consider this one of my favorites, since this is really good. Stay tuned next Monday for the next entry of “Al Pacino Month.”
Great review. I also really loved this film. I really liked the action, cinematogrophy, the complex characterisation, subtle acting, and the complex mystery plot. The music was also great. Loved your behind the scenes info. Keep it up.
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