|
|
Insomnia cast: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank director: Christopher Nolan 118 minutes (15) 2002 VHS rental Also available to rent on DVD [released 23 June] RATING: 8/10 reviewed by Debbie Moon |
|
A remake of a Scandinavian thriller seems an odd choice for Christopher Nolan, the writer and director of mould-breakers Following and Memento, but it's easy to see what attracted him; a man losing his grip on reality, a clever, malicious adversary, a world where normal rules of right and wrong have ceased to apply.
Al Pacino is a perfect choice for the intelligent but faintly unstable Dormer, stumbling around unfamiliar territory like an angry bear in severe need of a month's hibernation. In perfect contrast, Robin Williams is a deceptively fragile Walter Finch, dapper local author, 'friend' of the dead girl, and chief suspect.
Yes, Robin Williams. Acting. And he's good. Trust me.
With vast snowy vistas and perpetual sunlight to play with, the film looks beautiful, and Nolan racks up the tension with his normal consummate skill. Perhaps in retrospect you'll realise there's nothing here you haven't seen before, but the acting, the twisted relationships, and the moral shifting sands that the two men find themselves mired in make this a very superior cop thriller.