INSOMNIA

US, 2002, 118 minutes, Colour.
Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan, Paul Dooley, Nicky Katt, Josh Jackson.
Directed by Christopher Nolan.

This is a top police thriller investigation. It is a remake of a Norwegian film of the same name, starring Stellan Skarsgaard. It is also the third film of British director, Christopher Nolan who, after his debut feature, Following, made such an impact with his ingenious thriller-in-reverse, Memento. Insomnia shows that he is skilled in big-budget productions as well as small.

The action is transferred to Alaska (using Canadian locations), its continuous light providing a tormenting setting for Californian detective, Dormer (Al Pacino), who has arrived with his associate (Martin Donovan) to investigate a brutal murder. A complication is that his associate is being investigated by internal affairs, which may have difficult consequences for Dormer even though he is highly respected and his methods quoted in police training. As Dormer pursues his detection, he suffers more and more from insomnia, is involved in a shooting and is forced to act against his integrity as he is manipulated by the callous killer.

Of course, everybody was amazed that the murderer should be played by Robin Williams. It is a subtly menacing performance (and should be seen in association with his role, quiet and menacing, in One Hour Photo). Insomnia builds to a climax with the debilitated Dormer challenged to arrest the killer and rescue the earnest local officer who has Dormer on a pedestal. She is played by Hilary Swank.

Nolan uses his Arctic locations impressively, both beautiful and dangerous. He elicits fine performances. And he tells his story compellingly.

1. The quality of the film? Awards?

2. The range of genres, police investigation, psychological study, serial killer? The adaptation from the Norwegian original? The transfer from Norway to Alaska with the outsider from Sweden being replaced by the outsiders from Los Angeles?

3. The use of Alaskan landscapes, remote and isolated, beautiful scenery, the light and the 24-hour sunlight, the towns, the mountains, the water, the workplaces, the mills and the logs? The quality photography? The scenery as a character? The musical score contributing to the mood?

4. The title and its relationship to Dormer and his experience, the alien coming to Alaska, being overwhelmed by the sunlight and the time changes, wanting to sleep, impossible to sleep, the mind active, the mind running down, hallucinations, poor decisions, emotionally and physically needy? Insomnia as a symbol of Dormer's condition?

5. The audience entering the film with Dormer and Hap, the flight, the landscapes and the seascapes, the work background, the Los Angeles internal affairs investigations, Elly and her enthusiasm at the airport, ingenuous and in admiration of Dormer, the police chief and his welcome, his knowing the Los Angeles situation, the rest of the police staff and their initial reaction to Dormer, collaboration? Audience interest in Dormer, his character and background, his skills?

6. The murder situation in the town, going to the police station, viewing the corpse, Dormer getting the information, the bashings, the cutting of the nails etc., the washing of the hair? The other police and their skills? Elly and her ability, learning from Dormer? The effects of the victim? The finding of the bag, the diary, the novel, deciding to hide the bag again and the ethical issue involved? The victim's room, her mother, the photo with her best friend torn in half?

7. Dormer's decision to interview the boy at the school, unnerving him by bringing him out of class? His surliness, the secrets? The truth? The victim's best friend and her betraying her? Their clashes, Kate walking out on her boyfriend, her secret lover?

8. The hotel, the initial meal, 10 o'clock at night, the light, Rachel and her being helpful? Hap and Dormer and the discussions about the internal investigations, Hap feeling that he needed to make a deal? Dormer's own experience, being seen as the exemplary policeman? His later explanation of having got the drops of blood and planted them on the little boy who had been abducted and tortured and who had been hanged? His intuition in knowing that the perpetrator was guilty? The phone calls from Los Angeles? The building up of a dangerous situation for Dormer and his inability to keep the light out of his room, not getting any sleep? The visuals of his restless nights?

9. Hiding the bag again and the set-up to catch the killer? Walter Finch and his coming, seeing the police, the pursuit, the fog, the cabin and his escape through the tunnel, the police spreading out, the fog and Dormer shooting Hap? How intentionally, given the situation with the internal investigation? Hap's reaction to his being shot by Dormer and his last words? Hap's death - and the later ghostly reappearances to Dormer? His final words? The angle of the body falling, Elly and the photographs, her suspicions, going to find the bullet, confronting Dormer with it? Dormer going to the dead dog, shooting it, getting the bullet, substituting it for the forensic evidence at the autopsy room? Elly working it all out, Finch seeing everything and using it to have a hold over Dormer?

10. Finch, the novelist, isolated, remote? His books? His phone calls to Dormer? Taunting and provocative? Meeting him, running from the room, the chase through the town, across the logs on the river, Dormer falling in and unable to get out, almost drowning? Dormer's return to Finch's room, the search, the later planting of the gun, Finch's phone call? The setting up of the meeting on the ferry, their discussions, Finch and his tape-recording the interview? The wild card? Dormer and his having the gun? Finch and his discussion about not killing the girl deliberately? Finch then able to plant the gun in the boy's room?

11. The days passing, Dormer getting no sleep, the concern about Los Angeles?

12. The funeral, Dormer's presence? His talk with the girlfriend, taking her for a drive, seeming to crash the car, her fear, taking her to the garbage dump? Getting the alibi for the young man? Finch and his visit to the police station, Dormer's intensity in the interrogation? Planting the gun and Dormer hurrying to the house, searching for it and failing, pretending to join the police searching? The arrest of the boy?

13. The end of the case, Elly and her dilemma about the truth, looking up her thesis, knowing what gun Dormer had as back-up? Elly's character, age, experience, admiration, the Wookie, others making jokes about her being too serious?

14. The last night in the hotel, the noise in Dormer's room, trying to block out the sun at all cost? Rachel and her coming, talking, asking the reason for people being in Alaska? The night with him?

15. Elly and her eagerness to interview Finch, arranging to see him, going to the cabin, Dormer and his departure, his decision to tell the truth about the shooting of Hap, driving to the cabin, nodding off, almost crashing the car? Elly finding the dress and Finch hitting her?

16. The final confrontation, Elly's decision, Dormer helping her, the gun and the bullets and her firing, Dormer's strategy in confronting Finch, each shooting the other? The parallels and contrasts between the two? Each with the hold over the other, having killed someone, covering it up? Dormer's last will and testament to Elly to do the right thing? Her doing it?

17. How effective the film as police investigation, as a murder study, as a complex character study, a film with moral issues about the meaning of life and values?