Insomnia (2002/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers (WGA):

Hillary Seitz (screenplay)
Nikolaj Frobenius (1997 screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 May 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Days never end. Nightmares are real. No one is innocent.

Plot:

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Police | Alaska | Insomnia | Police Detective

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Al Pacino	...	Will Dormer
Hilary Swank	...	Ellie Burr
Oliver 'Ole' Zemen	...	Pilot
Martin Donovan	...	Hap Eckhart
Paul Dooley	...	Chief Nyback
Nicky Katt	...	Fred Duggar
Larry Holden	...	Farrell
Jay Brazeau	...	Francis
Lorne Cardinal	...	Rich
James Hutson	...	Officer #1
Andrew Campbell	...	Officer #2
Paula Shaw	...	Coroner
Crystal Lowe	...	Kay Connell
Tasha Simms	...	Mrs. Connell
Maura Tierney	...	Rachel Clement

Also Known As:

Insomnie (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (edited version) | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38846)

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Alcon Entertainment

Trivia:

Detective Will Dormer's surname may be derived from the Latin verb "dormire" (and subsequently the Spanish verb "dormir"), which means "to sleep".

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the police officers are waiting for the murderer to return to the cabin for the girl's backpack (Scene 8 on the DVD), they are talking about firearms. One of the Alaska cops says "Yeah that's nice, mine's all plastic save the barrel and firing pin - never rusts. What do you carry down in LA?" In the real world, the only part on his Glock that is plastic is the frame. The barrel, firing pin, trigger components, and SLIDE are all metal. Seeing how the Glock's frame (that's the big part on top) is 100% blued metal, it rusts just as easily as anything else.

Quotes:

Francis: This his blood?
Det. Ellie Burr: Ketchup maybe. Was he eating a hot dog?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Batman: The Journey Begins (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Don't Wait for the Sun

Nolan can now be considered one of the best!

INSOMNIA is not only the third film of acclaimed director Christopher Nolan (his first two were FOLLOWINGS and MEMENTO), but also a film that is able to intertwine the acting talents of three Academy Award winners. Al Pacino plays a celebrated cop who is asked to work on the case of a murdered girl in Alaska. Hilary Swank plays the local law enforcement who has her eyes on making a big case. Robin Williams plays a troubled Alaskan writer. Without giving anything away, INSOMNIA is definitely worth it. Some may see it, and be disappointed. One way to steer away from this failure is think of INSOMNIA as a psychological thriller rather than a "Shoot 'em up" thriller. INSOMNIA is story about loyalty and human emotion. Don't get me wrong, the movie is thrill-packed, but let's just say--You don't need blood and gore to make the audience members be on the edge of their seats (which I was). INSOMNIA hits all of its points including acting, directing, screenwriting, and cinematography. It's a first class thriller with great characters. On a side note...Pacino is worthy of an Oscar for his performance, Williams is equally excellent, and Swank also deserves recognition for complete scope of acting. A job well done by these three actors, and especially the man behind the curtain, Christopher Nolan!