This was a great twist on the classic cat and mouse crime thriller. Al Pacino is great and Robin Williams is even better. It's amazing how many films I can watch of him and completely escape into his character. There are some great subtle details that you can enjoy It on rewatch. I didn't realize this was directed by Christopher Nolan until after I watched the film and now I understand the attention to detail. Would highly recommend for anyone who loves a good crime thriller.

As said in my reviews for his masterpiece 'Memento' and the fascinating 'The Prestige', Christopher Nolan has always struck me as a very talented film-maker, and most of his films are ones that have impressed me a lot. Even weaker efforts, where his ambition can get in the way, have a good deal to admire. His films are all impeccably crafted technically, and often entertaining and thought-provoking, also knowing how to get good performances out of talented casts.'Insomnia' is not one of Nolan's best films, but not his worst. For me it's somewhere in the middle if ranking his films, 'Memento' being his best and, while with a lot of impressive elements, 'Interstellar' being the one that impressed least. It shows fidelity to the Norwegian original, but doesn't go so far that it's a pale retread, in a way that is summed up very well by Roger Ebert.Nolan directs with impeccable style and sense of atmosphere, as well as an ability to tell a potentially convoluted story with clarity without resorting to excess and over-ambition. Much of 'Insomnia' is exceptionally well made, while beautiful Alaska has rarely been more oppressive as well while the cinematography has grit and class. David Julyan's music score is not quite as complex as that for 'Memento', but has a very effective eeriness.The script is tight and thoughtful, and the story, filled with neat twists and turns, is hugely compelling and atmospheric, never being too simple but complex enough to still be understandable and be respectful to the viewer. The cat and mouse stuff could have been predictable and convoluted but executed in masterly hair-raising but also quiet tension.Performances are all strong across the board. While underused somewhat, Martin Donovan and especially Hilary Swank are great here. It is however Al Pacino and Robin Williams who are even better. Pacino gives perhaps his best performance since 'Heat' and he has to me definitely not been on this amount of blistering form as he is in 'Insomnia'. Williams is cast against type, and he plays a genuinely terrifying character with menace but also dignity and restraint.Flaws are only a couple, with the film ending too conveniently and some of the editing being a touch too jumpy.All in all, a gripping film and hardly a sleeper. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Overall: A very good film and recommended for a one time buy/watch. I do think it is worth a cinema ticket or a one time watch but personally wouldn't buy it on DVD.Good: It's very tense and the sleepless scenes have great on the effect on the narrative. Stellar performances from Robin Williams and Al Pacino. The plot is great as is the incredible ending.Bad: The reason why Al is needed is never explained and mostly the other performances are mediocre. Even though it isn't an action movie the action segments are terrible which is unfortunate com from the director of The Dark Knight trilogy.Best Part: The psychological strain Robin puts on Al while on the boat and after the false accusation.9/10

Christopher Nolan follows the flawless MEMENTO with this, another one-word title film and another inventive, superb effort. Based on a Norwegian movie (which I haven't, as yet, seen), this tells the oft-told tale of a world-weary cop vs. a nasty and particularly slimy killer. What makes it special is the script – very believable and down-to-earth – and the characters, who are so realistically drawn that you can easily believe they are living, breathing people. The setting of the icy, desolate Alaskan town is very good indeed, combined with excellent cinematography which brings out every characteristic of the location and makes it feel really unique. Nolan shoots his film expertly, mixing in some fine chase and action sequences (the log run is brilliantly conceived) with the heavier, more dramatic moments.Al Pacino is fine in the role of the ageing, flawed cop. Sure it's a performance we've all seen before but he makes it extra special with his singular powers of method acting and realism. You feel tired just looking at his weary, end-of-the-road cop. The supporting cast are all fine but it's Robin Williams who really steals the show as the killer, Finch. Williams is nasty, slimy, villainous, creepy, and totally scary, a mundane and quiet little man who's prone to bursts of a violent psychopathic nature. The film remains unpredictable throughout, letting the suspense build gradually as the cat-and-mouse storyline increases the tension, before ending in a sudden burst of violence and excitement. Magnificent stuff, sadly all too rare these days in Hollywood but a reminder of what a good director, a good script and a good cast can really do.