Insomnia

Released 30th August 2002, Insomnia follows LA detective Will Dormer as he investigates the murder of a young girl in Alaska and battles his inner demons with the help of an unlikely ally. As with many Christopher Nolan films, Insomnia opts to combat our humanity and how humanity fights back against our own nature; in this case through the means of the title. Dormer struggles with insomnia throughout the film’s runtime in an escalating fashion; a concept which, due to its execution in direction, is reflected onto the audience in the form of constant anxiety which is effective in keeping the audience engaged. This atmosphere is further enhanced by the Alaskan setting; a narrative choice which further conveys the claustrophobic nature of Dormer’s anxieties and his demons as a result of how close the communities are.

Al Pacino provides a decent performance as Will Dormer. He particularly peaks during fits of rage against other characters (as Pacino always does) and hooks you in a discussion in the last twenty minutes of the film. Besides that, however, he gives just enough to engage the audience with little more. Most of the cast are of a similar state; with the exception of Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. Williams as Walter Finch brings the charisma that he was so renowned for as well as a more stoic tone when necessary. Whilst probably not his best performance, it is still a highlight and enables him to convey the strong and provocative ideas that Finch is embodied with in the script. Finally, Hilary Swank illustrates Ellie Burr’s character with a superb consistency whilst also adjusting her demeanour as she becomes more enthralled into Dormer’s work-style. She starts off perky and eager early on, idolising Dormer as the perfect cop, only to become more disgruntled as she pulls more threads of the case; a mirror of Dormer himself.

This film soars in forming dyads between the characters; with Dormer being reflected perfectly into every main character in some capacity or another. The narrative interweaves the effects of our actions and how they become interpreted by others into the core of everyone with stellar results each time. Whilst not as memorable as many of Nolan’s other works, the soundtrack had resonant motifs throughout the film; albeit unmemorable after the fact. Overall Insomnia is a fantastic crime thriller with strong characters, consistent actions and great direction to keep you engaged.