Insomnia - Nolan's `training wheels' film

Right now, most people know Christopher Nolan for his critically-acclaimed 'Batman' trilogy. Others who know a little more about his work link him with some pretty intense science fiction, fantasy or generally twisted movies like 'Inception, The Prestige and Memento.'

However, before all of those classics, he did a remake of a Scandinavian film, 'Insomnia.' I haven't seen the original, so I can't compare to that. Although, as it wasn't originally his story, he didn't have as much input on the screenplay as he normally does. It's about a couple of cops from LA (one being the strung-out Al Pacino) who come to a small town in Alaska where it doesn't get dark for six months of the year, to investigate a murdered girl. Enter Robin Williams - the main suspect and Al's nemesis.

With those two acting heavyweights, you can never really say that 'Insomnia' is a bad film. It ticks all the boxes. Everyone puts in a decent performance and I can't really see anyone who likes detective-type movies being disappointed. The scenery deserves a mention, as it's almost a 'character' in its own right.  Nolan uses the landscape perfectly to convey the sleepy mood of the town and surrounding area.  In fact, it's as if he watched David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks' and used many of the establishing shots (and even some subtle plot nods?) for 'Insomna.' However, when you compare it to Nolan's other work, it does seem like a step down in quality. I can only think he prefers working on his own screenplays. Either way, don't let that put you off. It does the job and it's definitely worth a watch (as are most of Al Pacino's films!)

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one