REVIEW - Insomnia

Directed by Christopher Nolan
Written by Hillary Seitz
Rated R - 118 Minutes
Released May 24, 2002

I hate remakes. I can't think of anything I hate more than someone remaking a movie. I suppose musicians sometimes "cover" songs that have been popular before, but you never really see anyone re-writing a novel do you? I could be wrong about that, but I'm not wrong in believing that the majority of film remakes suck balls.

I am perpetually torn since I have no intention to see someone piss all over a movie that I loved or admired but at the same time I am compelled to see them because it gives me the ammo I need to bitch about how bad they suck.

After seeing Memento & Following, Christopher Nolan had become one of my favorite directors ever. When I discovered the next film he was making was a remake of a Norwegian Film my skin began to crawl and I almost vomited. Of course I had never seen the original film upon which Nolan's was based but the idea that a guy I so admired was taking this path threw me into what could have been a massive nervous breakdown if I hadn't already been in the process of having a real nervous breakdown at the time.

Remakes are generally put out by hacks. Even uncle Stevie ventured into the realm of hack-dom when he made War of the Worlds (the very definition of a soulless movie as far as I am concerned). At the time Insomnia was coming out I was still seething over City of Angels, which was a painfully horrible movie and one of the reasons I hate Nicholas Cage, and couldn't even comprehend that Spielberg would even consider such a thing (the jerk) in the near future. The thought of Nolan giving up so quickly made me sad but I saw the movie anyway, if for nothing else I'd have something to bitch about.

I went into Insomnia knowing I would hate it and instantly found myself blown away by Wally Pfister's amazing cinematography. I have seen few movies that looked better than this one, with Nolan taking full advantage of some spectacular Alaskan locations. A cast as talented as this doesn't hurt either, and everyone gets their moment in the sun (so to speak), especially Al Pacino who alone made me forget why I couldn't like this film.

One thing that drew me in was the descent of Detective Dormer (Pacino) into the realm of sleeplessness. I have had insomnia since I was five years old and have at various times in my life gone days and days without sleep. Although every person's madness is unique I was haunted by the way Nolan was able to put the viewer in Dormer's head as the world around him became more and more incomprehensible.

Despite my reservations, Nolan was still a genius when I first saw this film and I love it even more having seen it again after purchasing it from the bargain bin. He's got to be a genius if he can make me like a remake. Insomnia keeps Mr. Nolan's Batting average at a thousand and gets an "Oh Hells Yes" on the Mr. Blunderson scale.