Insomnia (2002)

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.

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers:

Hillary Seitz (screenplay), Nikolaj Frobenius

Stars:

Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Will Dormer
Martin Donovan	...	Hap Eckhart
Oliver 'Ole' Zemen	...	Pilot
Hilary Swank	...	Ellie Burr
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

Storyline

Sent from the city to investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a small Alaska town, a police detective (Pacino) accidentally shoots his own partner while trying to apprehend a suspect. Instead of admitting his guilt, the detective is given an unexpected alibi, but this "solution" only multiplies the emotional complexity and guilt over his partner's death. He's also still got a murder to solve, in addition to the blackmail and framing of an innocent bystander being orchestrated by the man they were chasing. There's also a local detective (Swank) who is conducting her own personal investigation... of his partner's death. Will it all come crashing down on him?

---

Plot Keywords:

insomnia | murder of a nude woman | sunlight | detective | murder | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some violence and brief nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 May 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Insomnia - Schlaflos

Filming Locations:

Woodfibre, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$46,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,930,169, 26 May 2002, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$67,355,513

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$113,714,830

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcon Entertainment,Witt/Thomas Productions,Section Eight

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although primarily known for comedic roles, this is one of two thrillers in which Robin Williams starred in the same year. The other was One Hour Photo (2002).

---

Goofs

The comment about Walter's trigger finger position is partially correct. A double barrel shotgun usually has two triggers, one behind the other and one for each barrel. It's reasonable that an open trigger would be visible while firing with the second trigger.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Hap Eckhart: There's just nothing down there. Nothing. I haven't seen a building in, like, 20 minutes. Look at that.
Will Dormer: We're not on vacation, Hap. Remember?

---

Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: A Nightmare on Elm Street (2014)

---

Soundtracks

Sparks
Written by Guy Berryman, Jon Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin
Performed by Coldplay
Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

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!