1/8/2024 0 Comments Insomnia film charactersThe killer here is a thriller writer, Jon Holt (Bjorn Floberg). He has sex hallucinations when giving a ride to a young teenager. Jonas because more troubled as each day without sleep passes. As he tries to avoid being caught for the murder he committed, he is getting closer to solving the murder of the woman from the beginning. The killing sets off a strange turn of events. The chase ends in tragedy for his partner Erik. He descends almost into a madness that is topped by a botched stakeout and a chase through a fog (symbolic of his mind) that is as dark as the movie will ever get. The Jonas character cannot sleep and his personality is continually affected. The brightness of the film is overbearing. It has a very current TV show feel to that scene but that probably reflects the influence the film has had on detective procedurals since 1997. And then we cut to the beginning of the investigation. The murder takes place quickly before the titles even run in a roughly shot murder sequence. The movie takes place 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. And in many cases they have a history of mental illness. All of these share one thing in common – investigators with a questionable or troubled past. I’m reminded of other detectives from this area of the world that have inspired American remakes including The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and the original versions of the television series The Killing and The Bridge. He’s is partnered with Erik, a Norweigian. Insomnia stars Stellan Skarsgard (who we now recognize from the Thor and Avengers films) a Swede, Jonas, working as a detective in Norway. There was never a doubt in my mind it would be a part of The Criterion Collection and as the spine number of 47 indicates, it has been for quite a while. Insomnia as directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg is unblinkingly bright. That is all you need to know about the differences between these films. The movie poster shows the dark silhouetted faces of Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Nolan’s follow-up to Memento was a dark tale of madness. He took a big chance in a serious role in the Christopher Nolan 2002 remake of this 1997 Norwegian film. Williams is marvelously passive and almost whispery as he riles Pacino’s Detective to the point of utter rage.I sat down to write this upon the day of hearing of the passing of Robin Williams. Undeniable, however, is the sheer acting power of the whole thing, with a major highlight being the interrogation scene between Pacino and Williams. “Insomnia” is a fever dream of a film that follows Detective Will Dormer (Pacino), who is flown to Alaska, along with partner Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), to assist in an investigation surrounding the murder of a 17-year-old girl. Starring a memorable Al Pacino in one of his best performances, and the late great Robin Williams as the villain, the film is supported by the always captivating Hilary Swank. Nolan kept most of the hooks and beats from that solid film, but shot it in dreamier and more atmospheric fashion. “Insomnia” was actually a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgard. It’s definitely the least talked about Nolan. That’s not really for me to say, but every now and again I meet a filmmaker and that’s actually the film that they’re interested in or want to talk about. It was my first studio film, I was on location, it was the first time I’d worked with huge movie stars. The reality is it’s one of my most personal films in terms of what it was to make it. I think, of all my films, it’s probably the most underrated. In Tom Shone’s book, “The Nolan Variations,” Nolan admits to being very keen about “Insomnia” for numerous reasons, including personal ones: I’d love for him to one day make a film as quietly somber and small as this one. “Insomnia” would later be overshadowed by Nolan’s big jump into epic blockbusters and, since then, he hasn’t really looked back. Christopher Nolan’s third feature, following the critical success of “Memento,” was “Insomnia” and people tend to forget what a tense white-knuckler of a film that was.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |