Providing some hope for the Hollywood machine, Christopher Nolan found his way to the high-profile remake Insomnia with, all things considered, very little on his resume. Small-budget hits Following and Memento have become such cult favorites that they've transcended "cult," but you rarely see such a director getting the chance to shoot straight to a big money venture with such names as Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank.
While not the biggest fan of Inception you'll find, I am quite the Nolan fan, and even if I am torn as to the necessity of this remake (the original being brilliantly constructed), there is great ability at work here.
Deceptively simple, the story follows an L.A. homicide detective (Pacino), and his effort to track a criminal in a small Alaskan town so far north that, this time of year, the sun never sets. Teaming up with the local police, represented by Swank, he has to make sense of the crime to catch the criminal (Williams), while battling the mind-altering effects of intense sleep deprivation.
Like the original, though the film begins with a bit of whodunit, it quickly abandons it in favor of a whydunit. Soon enough, it's just a fairly thrilling what'sgoingon, and all dunit be damned. As the incessant light continues to keep sleep at bay for detective Will Dormer, and plagued by the guilt of an incident that sets the stage early in the film, the ride we're on is as much a battle against one's own mind and the frailty of decision-making skills as an attempt to capture a criminal who doesn't seem inclined to deny his guilt.
A cat-and-mouse the likes of which we rarely see in films anymore follows, with the sensationally creepy Walter (Williams) taking advantage of not only the information about Will's indiscretion, but his altered state as well. Falling so far that he may or may not be having hallucinations, and utterly out of his element in the cold and the wild, it's going to be a hard and dangerous road piecing together this puzzle.
The Blu-Ray
The release is not only timed well to capitalize on Nolan's big release, but is a worthwhile effort in its own right. It's a film that can take great advantage of Blu-Ray quality, even if it doesn't have many of the usual features that come to mind when thinking of films you need to own in the format.
With such a serious effort toward creating mood, and putting an intensity into visual style, you really want to get everything out of your picture that you can. Odd as it may sound, getting the exact obscurity of fog can be as powerfully heightened on Blu-Ray as getting the amazing clarity of the normal showcase vistas.
Features:
There are (sort of) two commentary tracks for the film, and they are worth the purchase on their own for anyone who has enjoyed the film. Both play out in a somewhat different way than you'd expect. Nolan's commentary is delivered in order of shooting sequence, which is unnecessarily "artsy" frankly, but he knows film, and it's well above a lot of commentaries you'll get. It is perhaps especially engaging because this is a remake, and he lets you in on a lot of his decisions.
The other commentary is not a complete track, and runs you through select parts of the film as Hilary Swank, Production Designer Nathan Crowley, and Editor Dody Dorn provide their thoughts.
You also get four featurettes, and they're nice efforts.
Day for Night: Making the Movie is your standard behind-the-scenes fare, with a lot of interview footage cut into scenes of the film, etc. This would probably rate about average at best, except for the many unique aspects of the film, which not only drive the comment, but open the door for more interesting B-Roll footage than you'd normally get.
180°: A Conversation with Christopher Nolan and Al Pacino is at once one of the most interesting, and oddest special features you'll run into in a while. Apparently, the pair reunite to talk at random about the film. They drink tea (or anyway, out of fancy teacups) and chat about various aspects of the film, and run off on tangents. Pacino is decidedly serious. It's certainly interesting, and why not check out some interview footage of the director and the star chewing the fat, but there is something decidedly weird going on.
In the Fog: Cinematography and Production Design is probably only of marginal interest to the public at large. Even if you're a fan of the film, there is only so long you can explore the details of this film's particular difficulties in the area of getting things to look the way you want. It's interesting, don't get me wrong, and even put together in an engaging enough way, but I wonder if most people will last all the way through.
Eyes Wide Open: The Insomniac's World is a cool idea. I'm not sure if people are going to be looking for real sleep deprivation experts talking about the true effects of missing a lot of sleep, and how well the idea is portrayed in the film, but it's a lot of fun actually.
You also get a few extra scenes, a stills gallery, and the theatrical trailer.
In the end, it's a solid release, and even though I wouldn't rate the film as highly as a lot of people, I appreciate a great deal about it, and the Blu-Ray is an above-average offering.
Own it on Blu-Ray today!
Win it!
I'm making this one a Facebook Fan Appreciation Giveaway. If you're a Facebook Fan (or... Liker), you don't need to do anything (apart from respond when you win). If not, find the box over on the right, click Like, and there you go.
Sharing is greatly appreciated, and not sharing is really just holding out on your Facebook Friends.
U.S. only. Winner will be randomly selected on August 5th.
Check out a couple of clips below.
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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