Not a bad thriller but could've been better

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2008)

"Insomnia" is a thriller that has some big names attached to it: Al Pacino, Robin Williams & Hilary Swank; all designated as 'Academy Award Winner' on the movie poster. Director Christopher Nolan is also well-known, though his only Oscar nomination is for a co-screen writing credit.
The story concerns a veteran cop (Al Pacino) sent to Alaska along with his partner in order to aid in a murder investigation. Through a series of events cop & killer (Robin Williams) eventually come face to face, though under circumstances that pit them against each other in a battle of wits.
The cast, as previously noted, is stocked with Oscar-caliber talent. However, it seems to me that those casting the film went for big name actors over others who may have been better suited to the parts. I have no complaints about Al Pacino as he's played this sort of character enough times to be able to do it in his sleep. On the other hand, Robin Williams just didn't convince me as a murderer in the usual Hollywood 'criminal mastermind' mold. Hilary Swank was decent enough but her role demanded none of the skill that won her two well-deserved Oscars. The movie makers should have skipped Swank's price tag and spent the money on better support because most of it is merely television-caliber.
The script is a pretty good one if you like thrillers of this sort, although it's been done to death by now. Nolan's direction throws in some admittedly breathtaking outdoor scenery while the more intimate scenes are no better than average. The score by David Julyan is decent enough but I can't really recall anything particularly interesting or memorable about it.
On the whole, the film is a perfectly acceptable thriller though it falls into the trap of placing more emphasis on stars than story. However, I expect that fans of the genre will not find it difficult to overlook the supposed faults that I've outlined.