Insomnia – Sleepless is probably not the Roman Empire of Christopher Nolan fans, they probably think about the Inceptions, The Dark Knights or Oppenheimers of this world a lot more often every week. The 2002 thriller instead stands in the shadow of its predecessor Memento and successor Batman Begins. In fact, the ice-cold murder hunt is the most unusual film in Nolan’s work, as it entertains as a fairly straightforward crime film with a thriller touch without any major twists. Our TV tip is definitely worth seeing.
Today on TV: In Insomnia, Al Pacino takes on Robin Williams
The Godfather star Al Pacino plays veteran Detective Dormer, who travels to Alaska with his partner Hap (Martin Donovan) to investigate the murder of a 17-year-old. On the first evening, Hap confesses to him that he will testify against Dormer in an internal investigation. When the two later want to lure the murderer (Robin Williams) into a trap, Dormer accidentally shoots his partner in thick fog.
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Al Pacino and Robin Williams in Insomnia
To protect himself, Dormer blames the murderer and is then killed by him complex cat and mouse game involved. Things come to a head when junior police officer Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank) questions Dormer’s actions.
Why the thriller is worth it
Insomnia features three Oscar winners (Pacino, Williams and Swank) and an atmospheric setting. Fans of the latest True Detective season, which also takes place in Alaska, get to see the other side of the American North, but it no less gnaws at the mental state of the characters. In Insomnia the sun never setswhich is increasingly causing problems for the outsider Dormer.
As if a higher power were constantly shining a revealing light on his conscience, the police officer loses himself in a whirlpool of guilt and regret. Opposite him is the writer Walter Finch, masterfully played by Robin Williams, who tries to manipulate the police officer like one of his characters.
Although Insomnia is a remake of the Norwegian film Death’s Sleep, in Dormer we have before us a classic Christopher Nolan hero who, under the weight of his actions, blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction. Nolan light you could call that, or else: the Essence of Nolan’s hero typesummarized in a straightforward little thriller the likes of which he never made again.
So you can watch or stream Insomnia on TV
Insomnia will this Sunday, March 10th from 8:15 p.m. on Arte broadcast. This is happening in time for the Oscars, where Christopher Nolan will be competing with Oppenheimer on Monday night.
If you missed Insomnia, you can purchase it with the purchase and rental option from providers such as Amazon. Unfortunately, the original Death’s Sleep is currently not streaming anywhere in Germany, but it is at least as worth watching. In it you accompany Dune villain Stellan Skarsgård as he investigates in eternal daylight. Death’s Sleep seems more profound than the Hollywood version, as Skarsgård’s interpretation of the role attracts significantly less sympathy.