Long, yet interesting (contains vague, possible spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (31 May 2002)

If I seem a tad nit-picky, it's because I was immediately drawn into this stylish thriller; director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to "Memento". Within a half-hour, I had "Insomnia" pegged as an ethereal tale of guilt and vengeance set in "the land of the midnight sun" (I'd already begun to write my review). With three Oscar-winning performers carrying the story forward, I figured that I was in for a treat. I was wrong. Al Pacino was at his best. With all the intensity he had in "Heat" coupled with the passive, haunted aura his Michael Corleone. The film survived by his grace only. When we drifted from the psychological portrait of Pacino's character that had been building up for the entire film to the conventional get-the-bad-guy mode, the film becomes "Hawaii 5-O" Alaskan-style. The mind-toying feeling of "Memento" tried to squeeze into "Insomnia" via exceptional editing and inventive camerawork with an inspired setting, but it doesn't stick around. Around the 1 1/2 hour mark, the plot gets ludicrous, the lines get screwy, and, in general, the film goes downhill. By the time the end came, I felt how the sleep-deprived Pacino looked: weary and waiting for the end. One climax fell after another and I lost interest. The suspense was still there, but the thrill was gone, and by the time the credits rolled I was disappointed by the poor excuse for an ending. As for the two other stars, Hilary Swank and Robin Williams, they never quite fit in. Swank seemed like the woman showing she can do everything the boys can (her character is compared to Nancy Drew) and it serves only to have her be the stereotypical damsel-in-distress. Williams is good, completely cast against type, but good. 7/10 Stars.
Quick recommendation: see "Manhunter", it's not as stylish, but it's definitely better.