Insomnia

While "Insomnia" seems to be the only picture in Nolan's lifetime that he did not write, the neo-noir criminal thriller has his trademark twisting narrative. Based on a 1997 Norwegian film, this investigative mystery follows an aged investigator (Al Pacino) as he confronts the consequences of his professional decisions. It was one of Pacino's final amazing performances, plus Nolan does an excellent job dissecting the character by raising the issue of whether acting from outside law is ever justifiable.

Pacino's role, Will Dormer, asserts that he violates the process only when his beliefs are beyond question. Nolan effectively underscores Dormer's fears with a parallel Internal Affairs inquiry to the primary whodunnit. While "Insomnia" is less complex than Nolan's subsequent films, it is frightening. Dormer is an outsider in a tiny Alaskan hamlet that has been devastated by the death of a young girl, and the Fbi investigator is anguished by the environment's coldness and local individuals' unwillingness to give information to an outsider. A sense of impending uneasiness rises when the adversary Walter Finch (by Robin Williams) is revealed, a monster who unsettles Dormer with his frank confessions of guilt.

Though the issues of accountability and remorse confronting a career law enforcement officer are not new to "Insomnia," Nolan addresses them in a fascinating, original manner. Given how neatly the tale concludes, it is not a very rewatchable picture, but it is an intriguing anomaly in Nolan's oeuvre. Its poor placement reflects more on the strength of Nolan's filmography than on "Insomnia."

Year of Release: 2002

Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams

IMDB: 7.2