Insomnia

The first time we lay eyes on Al Pacino's detective Will Dormer in the new thriller Insomnia, we don't need any introductions. Pacino has played numerous police figures over the years, and in doing so has developed a certain trust with his audience. Yet, it's that very trust the film quickly exploits.

Dormer is in deep trouble even before he arrives in a small town in Alaska to help solve the brutal murder of a young high school girl. Along with his partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), he's embroiled in a bitter internal affairs investigation back in Los Angeles that's threatening to derail his entire career. Add to the mix the fact that Hap is considering making a deal that would likely finger Will, and you can sense the foreboding desperation that Dormer carries with each step.

Dormer is met in Alaska by officer Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), an admirer and student of Dormer's past cases, who is more than excited by the chance to work together. Dormer's visit then takes a dark turn, one in which a questionable decision is made that will later come back to haunt him.

Pacino is striking as a tormented man teetering on the edge of his own sanity, fighting his increasing inability to sleep in the 24-hour daylight of the town. It's not an explosive role, yet it's as powerful and effective as Pacino has been in a long time.

At first seeing Robin Williams as a killer is hard to digest, but as that first impression dims, his impassioned portrayal of a troubled, yet honest man comes through. Williams plays a man who has killed, yet who doesn't believe he is a killer. It is an admirable change of pace from his Patch Adams days of oversentimentality.

Insomnia is directed by Christopher Nolan, whose last film, Memento, thrilled audiences with its inventive backwards structure, slick twists and fiery emotional backbone. Here Nolan earns a larger budget and bigger stars, but still manages to keep the story focused on emotion rather than action cliches (although an concluding shootout cannot be avoided). The lush Alaskan photography by Wally Pfister helps add to the ominous mood, and Nolan continues his masterful use of framing, especially in the scenes between Pacino and Williams.

Insomnia is being sold as a psychological thriller, but also doubles as a complex morality tale exploring the fine line between good intentions and miscarried justice. And while it never scales the artistic heights of Nolan's previous film, it is nevertheless a worthy stab at the conventional Hollywood thriller.