Insomnia

Directed by Christopher Nolan, Insomnia follows grizzled detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) as he and his partner (Martin Donovan’s Hap) arrive in Alaska to solve a murder. Filmmaker Nolan, armed with a script by Hillary Seitz, delivers a methodically-paced yet increasingly absorbing drama that’s been suffused with a whole host of compelling, enthralling attributes, as the movie benefits from, among other things, Wally Pfister’s atmospheric visuals, David Julyan’s moody score, and several magnetic performances – with, in terms of the latter, Pacino’s magnetic (and frequently mesmerizing) performance matched by a first-class supporting cast that includes Nicky Katt, Hilary Swank, and Maura Tierney. (Robin Williams, cast as a shady figure named Walter Finch, offers up a gripping, menacing turn that remains an ongoing highlight within the production.) And while the police-procedural elements are ultimately the least compelling aspect of the proceedings, Insomnia boasts an impressive number of electrifying sequences (eg Will pursues a suspect through the fog, Will and Walter’s encounter aboard a ferry, etc) that cumulatively ensure that it is, far more often than not, completely spellbinding – which, when coupled with a thoroughly satisfying closing stretch, confirms the movie’s place as a top-notch endeavor that ranks high on Nolan’s hit-and-miss body of work.

***1/2 out of ****