Al Pacino battles Robin Williams and no sleep

Rating: 7/10 (25 August 2005)

Sumptuous scenery and a fresh, enthusiastic Hillary Swank are in sharp contrast to weary Al Pacino in "Insomnia," about a legendary LA homicide investigator who goes to Alaska to assist in finding a killer. In the land of the midnight sun, Pacino finds there's no rest from his demons.
This is a slow-moving film at times, though the performances are very good. Pacino makes one tired just to look at him. As the film goes on, and he's had no sleep due to the constant light, his voice becomes raspy, his eyes are nearly shut, and he looks stupefied. He plays a complicated man, hounded by a departmental investigation and now a blackmailing killer. Like many of his other characterizations, Pacino gives us many layers of an imperfect man. Hillary Swank is very good, though wasted in a role that doesn't give her much to do except be young. Robin Williams, as a mystery author, turns in an excellent performance. Former General Hospital actor Jonathan Jackson has a small part as the victim's boyfriend. Jackson is very much a chameleon, playing a bad boy as if he was born to it.
This was probably a disappointment in a movie theater at $10 a shot; it's perhaps more interesting as a rental or on television.