Less tricksy then Momento, but as good

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2007)

Director Christopher Nolan re-invented the thriller genre when, in his film 'Momento', he told the story backwards. 'Insomnia', his follow-up movie, is less tricksy and covers some fairly familiar ground: corrupt cop, pretty female assistant, manipulative psychopath, horrific murder - none of this is especially new territory for film. But in spite of this, 'Insomnia' is every bit as gripping as its predecessor, thanks to some economical storytelling, Al Pacino playing ravaged as only Al Pacino can, the backdrop of some stunning but savage Alaskan scenery, but above all else, through Nolan's wonderfully taut and claustrophobic direction. Some scenes (the chases in the fog, and on the logs) are pure cliché, yet in Nolan's hands they come alive in a way that they fail to do nine times out of ten. Nolan is a clearly a major talent, and with this film, he has proved himself not just an imaginative young tyro, but also one capable of working with a serious budget and major stars. For all the obviousness of the premise, this movie shows how this sort of thriller ought to be done.