It is always the darkest in the light

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2002)

(Possible spoilers ahead)
Ok, that might sound like a cliche line for Insomnia, a remake here of the 1997 foreign version with Stellan Skarsgard, but why not once in a blue moon. Anyway, this is indeed a topper for Christopher Nolan, over his 2001 independent backwards episode Memento, and brings his storytelling skills to a thriller set in Alaska. Thus, Al Pacino plays the cop, a usual part to be sure, yet here brings an excellent feeling of desperation to try and find a way out of the muck of lies and torment that are in his life. And for once, Alaska is shown as it truly is, either all night or all day (there are so many movies that get this wrong it's too lengthy to explain here) and how either one can drive the particular person crazed. Here it is the constant shining of a itty bit of sunlight into his room at 3:30 AM.
Pacino is on the case of a killer (Robin Williams) who's victim is a teenage girl. This is handled in a good way, by turning it into not a cops and and bad guys movie, but more of a moral movie, one about getting caught in the most stressful of situations in dealing with control over life and the responsibility it follows. It is not just the acting, which is above par, but also just the downright craft that drags you into the predominately first person dilemma (although Williams brings up some interesting points among his blackmail).
One more note: Williams has done something this year to me I'm not sure he's ever done- he has two movies from this year that are both grand dramatic, crazed performances and among his flops and utter misdemeanors (including another one he did this year, Death to Smoochy) there is a bit of praise for the guy. As for the thriller here, one of the years best in conclusion. A+