Metaphorically brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (7 September 2002)

**SPOILERS**This - like Nolan's previous (Memento) - is at the very least intriguing and quite beguiling all the way through, but as with Memento, it isn't until the very end that the meaning of the film becomes apparent. At the point where Pacino is on the way out, and Swank goes to toss the shell casing in the river and he stops her - this was the point where the film pulled into focus. Pacino's words "Don't lose your way" - any sentimental nonsense contrived at this point would have ruined Insomnia completely, but he says the one sentence that makes you realise - this isn't a film about Robin Williams at all; it's about cops who - through all the exposure to violence and all the other filth that humanity has to offer - become jaded. The insomnia is really just a metaphor for that, and his question of whether taking the law into your own hands is right or not is answered by his final statement.
Pacino excels in this role, and his crafting of this tired, weary individual is unquestionable. Robin Williams is also excellent. Indeed, everyone involved appears to have done such a good job that I'll leave it there. Recommended without hesitation - if you're the fidgety type just stick with it until the end and appreciate the theme and the message.