Standard Fare But With Interesting Themes

Rating: 10/10 (17 September 2008)

On one hand, when you see Insomnia, you've seen it all before. On the other hand, there is a theme that makes it fresh and entertaining rather than a wasteful rehash of scores of other cop thrillers about catching a tricky murderer in a small town. The story takes place in a small Alaskan fishing town where a local teenage girl is found murdered. An LAPD detective played by the inimitable Al Pacino, along with his partner, are sent up to lend a hand in the investigation, working with an eager local rookie played by Hillary Swank, still crisp and unpolluted by her job. Now, at the same time, a severe Internal Affairs inspection back in LA is inevitably going to put Pacino under a tornado of scrutiny and indictments. And he is, indeed, guilty of planting false evidence against at least one suspect in an earlier case. He worries that a lot of of his legal convictions will be annulled if Internal Affairs learns the truth. He does not want his life's work ruined, nor does he want these offenders released. Early in the movie, his partner discloses that Internal Affairs has proposed an immunity deal in exchange for his testimony. Pacino tries to talk his partner out of it, but he, seemingly complicit in some way in Pacino's crimes, says that at the end of the day he has to take care of himself and his family first, so he thinks he has no choice other than to agree to the deal.
All through the film, Pacino grows to be increasingly unbalanced because of shooting pains of shame over another big cover-up that occurs when he concocts a shrewd scheme to bait the killer back to the crime scene, and angst on account of the menace of being exposed. Swelling his disorientation are the phone calls he gets from the killer, who does not distinguish himself, but who knows of Pacino's regretful deed and about his effort to conceal it. This is the reason, yes, but from the moment he arrives in this small town, his entire biology is confused by the perpetual daylight of Alaskan summer.
How much longer can he lug this load of liability? How would he normally if he were not in a place so out of his element in so many ways? How intricately can one function if an essential bodily purpose is not met?
Robin Williams ascertains his bona fide acting chops in this film, not only because it is a serious role as a villain in a thriller but also because the amount of control he is capable of having over himself, allowing himself to subordinate to a story that does not entail him playing himself. Whenever he plays a serious role, he does show just how multifaceted and complex he is not only as an actor but as a person all around. His villain actually projects that unpredictable sudden adjustments from one moment to the very next.
This enjoyable thriller is not on par with Christopher Nolan's fascinating previous film, Memento, but in his helming of it he does show that he can make an effective film if he subdues himself and refusing to give in to experimental progressions of nonlinear storytelling or elaborate twists and other plot elements that don't do much but telegraph how clever he is. Insomnia was a chance for him to sharpen his skill with atmosphere and the power of hiding. And what a cool atmosphere this movie has, a dismal snow-covered town of only a handful of people, almost like a dream.