VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

ferdinandfoldvik The first 40 min. of this film is goddamn fantastic! Se7en (1995) has been my favourite movie for a LONG time. And for a while, nothing could take it's place. But Insomnia (2002) is even BETTER that Se7en! The story is about homicide detective Will Dormer (Pacino), and his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) going to a suburban Alaskan town, to investigate the murder of a 17 year old girl. After meeting with the fresh, young detective Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), and stopping at a local hotel, they start investigating the corpse. They find out that she had been beaten to death. And that the killer clipped her nails and washed her hair. After a while, they start investigating a cabin in the woods. Then a mysterious man with a raincoat, starts walking to the cabin. After screwing up with a megaphone, The mysterious man gets afraid that he is being tailed and Dormer and a team of the local police, tries to hunt him down. They run inside the cabin and split up. They find out that the man has escaped down to a beach, near his house. Dormer then hunt's him down to the beach. The beach is FILLED with blue fog, making it really hard to see. Dormer meets up with his team, and then one of them gets shot. Dormer then tries to chase down the man, and shoots him. Due to Dormer's limited vision in the fog, he shoots his partner, Hap instead, and the mysterious man gets away. Hap dies and, Dormer tries to cover it up. Kay (the 17 year old girl) was beaten up by her boyfriend (Rick or Ricky). They interrogated Rick for answers but they didn't get any (this is before Dormer shot Hap). There is more to discuss but, I could go on for hours about this film.

rdoyle29 Al Pacino stars as a Los Angeles homicide detective sent along with is partner Martin Donovan to the small town of Nightmute, Alaska to help with the investigation of a brutal homicide. They have partly been sent because local police chief Paul Dooley is a retired LA cop, but also because Internal Affairs has been investigating them and their boss wants them out of town. Donovan reveals to Pacino that he's been considering cooperating, a move that would ruin Pacino. While tracking down the murderer, a brutal accident puts Pacino in the hot seat. He tries to cover up his involvement, while suffering from insomnia due to the 24 hour daylight in this part of the world. Local rookie cop Hilary Swank, a great admirer of Pacino's, starts to realize something is wrong ... and the murderer (Robin Williams) himself contacts Pacino, revealing he knows what really happened and that he can help them both. This seems to be the least talked about of Nolan's films, which is a shame because it's a sharp and interesting remake of the 1997 Norwegian film that starred Stellan Skarsgard in Pacino's role. It's not a carbon copy of the original film, going different places with the same material. It's also one of the last really strong performances we got from Pacino.

picturetaker Perhaps my favourite Alaskan movie, maybe even my favourite Al Pacino movie and surely guaranteed one of Robin Williams best non comedic roles. INSOMNIA! A movie directed by Christopher Nolan is a movie about a mysterious murder that in a remote town in Alaska lacks the resources in law enforcement to solve it so two detectives from Los Angelas are flown in to help solve it. Yeah so its a pretty basic who done it type movie besides the whole Alaska thing.But what I love about this movie is the realism that Christopher Nolan is famous for. Even before he was known for Batman his movies had that amazing look Nolan is famous for.  The cinematography is incredible. Its like a travel brochure for Alaska! Its simply amazing. The story is great. It leaves you in suspense wondering whats going on but in a good way. And not to spoil anything but the reason its called INSOMNIA is its filmed in the part of summer where the sun never sets (sort of the same as the movie 30 days of night). It just adds to the films allure.So if you like great crime movies in the "Who done it" genre and you haven't seen this flick? Where have you been!?! Its time to track this movie down and watch it. You will be in awe. Especially if you're a fan of Christopher Nolan's other work or like the actors Al Pacino, Hilary Swank or Robin Williams.

Leofwine_draca Christopher Nolan follows the flawless MEMENTO with this, another one-word title film and another inventive, superb effort. Based on a Norwegian movie (which I haven't, as yet, seen), this tells the oft-told tale of a world-weary cop vs. a nasty and particularly slimy killer. What makes it special is the script – very believable and down-to-earth – and the characters, who are so realistically drawn that you can easily believe they are living, breathing people. The setting of the icy, desolate Alaskan town is very good indeed, combined with excellent cinematography which brings out every characteristic of the location and makes it feel really unique. Nolan shoots his film expertly, mixing in some fine chase and action sequences (the log run is brilliantly conceived) with the heavier, more dramatic moments.Al Pacino is fine in the role of the ageing, flawed cop. Sure it's a performance we've all seen before but he makes it extra special with his singular powers of method acting and realism. You feel tired just looking at his weary, end-of-the-road cop. The supporting cast are all fine but it's Robin Williams who really steals the show as the killer, Finch. Williams is nasty, slimy, villainous, creepy, and totally scary, a mundane and quiet little man who's prone to bursts of a violent psychopathic nature. The film remains unpredictable throughout, letting the suspense build gradually as the cat-and-mouse storyline increases the tension, before ending in a sudden burst of violence and excitement. Magnificent stuff, sadly all too rare these days in Hollywood but a reminder of what a good director, a good script and a good cast can really do.