**SPOILER WARNING***

Well time for another one of my nightly movie reviews this time Christopher Nolan’s 2002 thriller Insomnia!! A remake of a 1997 Norwegian Film

Insomnia is centerd around Detective Will Dormer (Al Pachino) who works for the Robbery Homicide Unit in LAPD but who is currently taking a trip to Nightmute, Alaska to investigate the murder of 17 year old Kay Connell with his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) Dormer is currently under investigation through Internal Affairs for planting blood samples at a crime scene in LA.

When they arrive in Alaska they are met by Ellie Burr (Hillary Swank) and they begin to work the case almost immediately. The department investigate a lead in the case at a cabin in the fog and they do encounter a man with a trench coat and go to confront him but the air horn accidentally sounds off spooking the individual. After the suspect wounds another officer Dormer starts to give chase and because of the low visibility he accidentally shoots Hap in the chest killing him.

Since the Internal Affairs investigation in LA Eckhart and Dormer have been at odds with Dormer believing that Hap is going to cut a deal and rat him out. This causes an argument the night before the accidental shooting with Hap’s last words being “Your trying to kill me?” Now Dormer is under even more stress so he can’t bring himself to tell the truth about how Hap died so he covered it up by saying he heard a second shot nowhere near where Hap fell.

Later in the move Dormer receives a phone call at his hotel from novelist Walter Finch (Robin Williams) saying that he knows exactly what happened to Hap and how he knows Dormer is responsible for his death, He blackmails Dormer with information in an effort to gain his trust to help him cover up the fact that he murdered Kay Connell.

The two meet on a boat and come to terms on a “You Scratch my Back, I scratch yours” deal where they plant the gun that killed Hap in the house of Kay’s abusive boyfriend Randy Stetson (Johnathan Jackson)

Ellie Burr is assigned the case of the death of Hap and starts to uncover the possible plan at play and is attacked by Finch later in the film when Finch says he has letters from Kay that will help prove that Steson is the one who “killed her”

Dormer catches on to this plan of Finch’s and arrives just at the time when Finch knocks her unconscious. Dormer and Finch end up in a shoot out ultimately ending in Finch and Dormer shooting themselves and both dying.

This movie was incredible. Al Pachino did a wonderful job and really convinced me he was strung out due to severe lack of sleep. Robin Williams…man the man could make any role his own! I miss him dearly so seeing him in this film was a treat, Especially in such a serious role like this. While some of the editing choices are a bit cheesy and dated for today’s standards, The cinematography and score in this film are top notch. Pachino and Williams are a great duo in this film my only critique is that Hillary Swank should have had a little bit more time to shine.

The beginning of this movie actually plays out like a precursor to Criminal Minds in a way with the way that it’s paced!

If you like Psychological Thrillers, Al Pachino or Robin Williams or all three I suggest you give this film a watch!!