Surpasses the original

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2003)

Far more interesting than the norwegian original, Insomnia confirms Nolan as the best emerging director in the american cinema.
A pair of key scenes as the jumping of drifting logs are original of the new version and the character developing surpasses the somehow unidimensional roles of the norwegian one, like the officer played by Hillary Swank and the hotel clerk with a dubious past.
Al Pacino's character reaches in the remake a new dimension, not only because of the relationship with his partner in the light of the investigation that takes place over his activities, but also because of the perfect construction of his drama, that makes his sleep inability work both in a literal and methaphorical level.
The audacious premise of creating the noirest of films in a place that never gets dark works as effectively as the solid formal narrative of `Memento'. Nolan pushes the limits once more here and maybe the fact that Insomnia inserts itself into very defined genre territory makes it even more outstanding in its achievement.