Insomnia
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Christopher Nolan
Produced by	Broderick Johnson
Written by	Hilary Seitz
Starring	Al Pacino Robin Williams Hilary Swank Maura Tierney Martin Donovan Paul Dooley
Cinematography	Wally Pfister
Editing by	Dody Dorn
Distributed by	Warner Bros. (USA, Germany, France) Buena Vista International (UK, Netherlands, Scandinavia)
Release date(s)	May 24, 2002
Running time	118 min. Christopher Jonathan James Nolan (born July 30 1970 is a Film director, writer and producer. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30 1974 is an American Actress. Her Hollywood film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Maura Therese Tierney ( Boston Massachusetts, February 3, 1965) is an Emmy -nominated American actress, known for her Martin Donovan (born August 19, 1957) is an American stage and film actor Paul Dooley (born February 22, 1928) is an American Actor. Biography Personal life Dooley was born Paul Brown Wally Pfister, ASC is an American Cinematographer who is best known for his work on the films Batman Begins, The Prestige Dody Dorn born 20 April 1955 (sometimes credited as Dody J Dorn is an Academy Award nominated American Film and sound editor best Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and Also see general Walt Disney Studios or Buena Vista. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures is a motion picture and television feature Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$46,000,000
Gross revenue	Domestic: $67,263,182
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Insomnia is a 2002 American remake of a 1997 Norwegian film about a police officer investigating a murder above the Arctic Circle and suffering insomnia due to the midnight sun and his guilt over past and present misdeeds. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the The film was directed by Christopher Nolan and starred Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank. Christopher Jonathan James Nolan (born July 30 1970 is a Film director, writer and producer. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30 1974 is an American Actress. Her Hollywood film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Plot

The story takes place in the small fishing town of Nightmute, Alaska, where a local 17-year-old girl named Kay Connell (Crystal Lowe) is found murdered. Nightmute ( Negtemiut in Central Yup'ik) is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. Crystal Lowe (born January 20, 1981) is a Canadian actress perhaps known for her roles in the Horror films such as Final Two LAPD detectives, Will Dormer (Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are sent up to assist the local police with their investigation. Alfredo James “Al” Pacino (born April 25 1940 is an Academy - BAFTA - Golden Globe - Emmy - & Screen Actors Guild Award-Winning Martin Donovan (born August 19, 1957) is an American stage and film actor

Concurrently, an intense Internal Affairs investigation back in Los Angeles is about to put Dormer under the microscope. The internal affairs ( United States terminology division of a Law enforcement agency investigates incidents and plausible suspicions of lawbreaking and Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Dormer is, in fact, guilty of planting false evidence against at least one suspect in this earlier case, a man named Dobbs. Certain that Dobbs was responsible for kidnapping and murdering a young boy, but realizing that there was not enough evidence to support a conviction, Dormer planted forensics evidence in Dobbs' apartment. Dormer fears that many of his legitimate convictions will be overturned if Internal Affairs discovers that he falsified evidence in the Dobbs' case. He does not want his life's work destroyed, nor does he want these criminals back on the streets. Early in the movie, Dormer's partner, Eckhart, reveals that Internal Affairs has offered him an immunity deal in exchange for his testimony. Dormer tries to talk Eckhart out of it, but Eckhart, apparently complicit to some degree in Dormer's misdeeds, says that ultimately he must look out for himself and his family as well as his own livelihood first, so he feels he has no choice but to accept the deal.

Focusing now on the Nightmute case, Dormer comes up with a clever plan to lure the murderer back to the scene of the crime. However, the stakeout attempt is blown, and the murder suspect flees into the fog, forcing the police to spread out and search for him on foot. During the pursuit, Dormer sees a figure through the fog, which he believes to be the armed murder suspect. He fires, and the figure collapses. However, when Dormer approaches, he discovers that he has mistakenly shot Eckhart. When Dormer realizes what he's done and tries to help, Eckhart turns away in horror, believing that Dormer shot him to prevent him from testifying in the Internal Affairs investigation. Eckhart dies moments later. As none of the other officers witnessed Eckhart's shooting, it is initially assumed that he was shot by the fleeing murder suspect.

Given the nature of Eckhart's impending testimony, Dormer knows that Internal Affairs will never believe that the shooting was accidental. Thus, Dormer faces the dilemma of trying to bring the murder suspect to justice while at the same time cover up the truth about Eckhart's shooting and preserve the misconception that the murder suspect was responsible for that as well. Ellie Burr (Swank), a young and eager police officer, is put in charge of the investigation into Eckhart's shooting. Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30 1974 is an American Actress. Her Hollywood film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Furthermore, she is a long time admirer and student of Dormer's work.

Throughout the film, Dormer becomes more and more unhinged, partly because of feelings of guilt over shooting his partner and anxiety about the risk of being found out, partly because of insomnia brought on by the perpetual daylight of the Alaskan summer. Insomnia is a symptom of a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity The midnight sun is a phenomenon occurring in Latitudes north and nearby to the south of the Arctic Circle and south and nearby to the north of the Adding to his delirium are the phone calls he receives from Kay's killer, who does not identify himself, but who saw Dormer shoot Eckhart and knows about his attempt to cover it up. Dormer is aware that Kay was a fan of a crime writer named Walter Finch (Robin Williams), and books autographed by him were found among her possessions. Robin McLaurim Williams (born July 21 1951 or 1952 is an American television stage and film actor and Comedian who has won an Academy Award for his performance He discovers that Finch lives in Alaska, not far from the crime scene. He starts to suspect Finch is the killer. He finds Finch's address and enters his apartment illegally. There he finds his photo. Finch returns to his apartment while Dormer is there, realises Dormer has identified him, and flees. Dormer goes in pursuit, but after a scene in which they run across logs floating down a river, into which Dormer falls and almost drowns, Finch escapes. Finch is a wily, intelligent writer who not only wants to steer the police away from his own guilt but also seems to enjoy manipulating events in much the same way events might be manipulated in the plot of one of his crime novels.

Finch contacts Dormer again, and they arrange to meet. Finch offers Dormer a deal, where Dormer is supposed to help frame Kay's abusive and unfaithful boyfriend Randy Stetz (Jonathan Jackson) for the murder in exchange for Finch's silence about the Eckhart shooting. Jonathan Jackson may refer to Jonathan Jackson (delegate (1743–1810 American merchant Continental Congressman for Massachusetts and political leader Finch secretly tape records their conversation, in order to give him hard evidence of Dormer's role in the shooting, as well as Dormer's attempt to cover it up. He then lets Dormer know he taped the conversation, a move designed to ensure Dormer's silence.

Dormer seemingly agrees to the plan, though he's really just stalling for time. Unfortunately, Finch is impatient and manages to frame Randy all by himself. When Randy is arrested for murder, Dormer is forced to choose between destroying his own reputation and allowing an innocent kid to be sent to prison.

Meanwhile, Ellie Burr finds some inconsistencies in the Eckhart shooting: she finds a 9mm shell casing at the scene. Reading a case report on one of Dormer's old cases, she learns that Dormer carries a backup gun, a 9mm Walther, now leading her to suspect that Dormer shot his own partner. Later, while meeting with Finch at his cabin, Burr discovers the murder victim's dress. Realizing that Finch is the murderer, she reaches for her gun, but Finch knocks her unconscious. Dormer races to the cabin to confront Finch. It is clear that his concentration is nearly gone due to his lack of sleep. A brief fight ensues between Dormer and Finch, before Burr arrives and Finch escapes to his shed.

Burr holds Dormer at gunpoint, revealing that she knows he shot Eckhart and demands to know whether he did it on purpose. Dormer breaks down, admitting that he shot his partner and stating that he is no longer certain whether it was an accident or not. From the protection of his shed, Finch fires at them with his shotgun. While Burr and Finch trade gunshots, Dormer sneaks around to Finch's location. In a twist of irony, Finch (fatally) shoots Dormer with Dormer's original weapon (which was taken from Dormer to investigate Eckhart's death), but Dormer quickly picks up the shotgun and blasts Finch at point blank in the stomach. A stunned Finch dies and tumbles into the water.

Burr rushes to the detective's aid. She comforts Dormer by affirming that Eckhart's shooting was accidental, and tries to toss the evidence — the 9mm shell casing — found from the scene. But Dormer stops Burr, telling her not to lose her way. "Let me sleep," he asks, weakly, before finally dying. After a moment of contemplation, Burr slips the shell casing back into its plastic evidence bag.

Adaptation

Although the remake echoes much of the substance of the original, it also significantly alters both the plot and the nature of the protagonist; Pacino's character is more sympathetic and more capable of redemption than Stellan Skarsgård's in the original film. (ˈstɛlːan ˈskɒːʂgɔɖ in Swedish or "Skashgord" born 13 June 1951 is a Swedish Film Actor, known for his roles in Breaking

Reception

Critics' reviews were very positive, with a "fresh" rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Novelization

Robert Westbrook adapted the screenplay to novel form, which was published by Onyx in May 2002. Onyx is a Cryptocrystalline form of Quartz. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades such as purple or blue ^[1]

References

External links

• Insomnia (2002) at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Cowie essay on the original at criterion.com