Good, But You Can't Quite Warm Up to it...

Rating: Null/10 (18 April 2003)

"Insomnia" is an odd film, because you can never quite warm up to it. It has great actors, a great director, and a pretty good plot...and it came off pretty good, but somehow, not "great." There is something about the movie you just can't warm up to, and it's pretty evident while you watch the film.
Al Pacino plays a detective sent to Alaska, along with his partner, to investigate into the death of a young woman. When he gets there, he begins a search on a foggy day, where he spots the killer and gives chase. Through the fog, Pacino mistakes his partner for the killer, and fires his weapon, killing him. Thinking no one saw this, Pacino files a case that the killer shot his partner and Pacino came upon the body. He disposes of all evidence and begins to search for the killer once more. Until he gets a call.
The killer of the woman is on the phone, saying that he saw the whole thing from yesterday and that he saw Pacino shoot his partner. Now the killer (Robin Williams) has something to hold against Pacino (although the whole idea of the killer having something against him seems to wither away quite quickly).
"Insomnia" is the next film from "Memento" director Christopher Nolan. He's a talented director, and "Memento" is one of my favorites (perhaps), so you come to expect a certain amount of talent from the director's next film. Well, he does a good job here, but unlike "Memento," we can't really care about the characters as much. As the end unfolded, I found myself not really caring about Pacino's character anymore. Quite frankly, I wanted it all to end. It is a bit too long for its own good, because the plot, characters and dialogue becomes worn after a while.
Al Pacino is one of the best actors out there; you think of gangster films, you think Brando, De Niro, and Pacino. But Al has proven he can play more than Al Capone and Michael Corleone, and while he gives a good performance here, he doesn't seem quite thrilled that he is in the movie. Granted, the idea is that the detective can get no sleep, but he acts drowsy from the beginning on. A sign of great acting, or a sign of regret?
Robin Williams has been, apparently, trying to prove that he can act drama. "Good Will Hunting," "What Dreams May Come," "One Hour Photo." Quite frankly, I miss the funny Robin Williams. The funny Robin Williams that made us laugh in so many films and practically made (in terms of saving) such films as "Jumanji" and "Hook"--underrated films that I enjoyed. I didn't care for "Good Will Hunting" very much, and "What Dreams May Come" was just plain weird. So I'm hoping that Robin returns to comedy pretty soon (I heard that "Death to Smoochy" was awful, so I won't count that as comedy).
Yes, "Insomnia" is a good film, but there's something about it that you just can't warm up to, and it's hard to ignore that sense of feeling.
3.5/5 stars -
John Ulmer