a worthy effort, but some formulaic styles

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2002)

I was privileged to see 'Insomnia' on May 1st, 2002 at an advance screening on my campus. I am a film student and have been eagerly awaiting any new releases by Christopher Nolan after watching 'Memento.' I particularly liked Nolan's innovative style that is seen all throughout 'Memento.' Unfortunately his innovation takes a vacation for much of 'Insomnia' as it becomes a stereotypical murder mystery and even a bit of a horror towards the end. Al Pacino has enough screen presence to be 80% of the film and still carry it well. Robin Williams and Hillary Swank put in roles that were nothing near the limits of their acting abilities. The plot had enough twists in it (amidst some weak dialogue) to make this an enjoyable film. This is one of the most enjoyable murder mysteries I have yet seen, but this became a very Hollywood style movie with less innovation then I expected from Christopher Nolan. All around, I give this 3 stars out of 4. Not a must see film, but recommended if you like murder mysteries or Al Pacino.