I really thought I was going to hate "Insomnia." I was certainly no big fan of the original Norwegian version. I hate Al Pacino. And I don't want to see Robin Williams as a bad guy. Wow. Was I wrong! "Insomnia" is a taunt, intricate, interesting thriller. And it's all thanks to scripter Hilary Seitz and director Christopher Nolan, the wunder-kid behind "Memento."

From the opening credits, it's obvious we're in for a good time. Nolan uses this shot of blood being absorbed by fibers as a visual sucker-punch throughout the film. It's creepy, ominous and perfectly accentuates not only the plot but the theme of the film. After the initial appearance of this visually stunning close-up, some incredibly beautiful aerial shots occur while the titles roll and Nolan furthers clarifies his visual intent here by having this refreshingly unique scenery glide in and out of focus, ever so slyly. Immediately, we know that unusual things will be in store for us.

The story of "Insomnia," truth be told, seems to borrow a lot from David Lynch's "Twin Peaks." Set in a somewhat quirky little town in the Northwest (here, it's Alaska), a "big city" detective is sent in to help the local police force solve the murder of a high school girl. As in Lynch's vision, the girl is troubled and has friends who have secrets about her. And as in that earlier story, an older man will become involved in the investigation.

But this story is less quirky and more straight-forward than Lynch. Instead of a urban law enforcer being charmed and, perhaps, somewhat reviled by the local color, the detective here becomes trapped and isolated in the closed community. The damp locales are an omnipresent indication of his mortal soul in flux. To further his unease, the location exists so far north of the equator that there is perpetual daylight at the time of year he is visiting. As the story unfolds, he will be drawn further and further into the darkness of his past and his own guilt as this continual 3rd degree by way of ever-present sunlight questions his integrity.

The script by neophyte Seitz here is the main reason I liked this film so much. The original Norwegian film is so subtle as to be oblique. I could never find any justification for the main character to cover up his mistake made in the first act of the film. Here, with the English language and no cultural barrier, as well as a far more American approach to the film's plot, the justification was obvious. I understood the story far more easily. Of course, knowing the plot (from watching the original) made for easier viewing as well but the script's approach - to be wordy - as opposed to the original's abundant subtlety, made all the different. In many ways, this film is 10 times as good as the original. (I know there are purists and fans of the original and art movie snobs who will gasp at that statement. They're wrong).

Nolan walks a wonderful line between cinematics and storytelling. The former is generally subjugated for the latter, but Nolan strikes a near-perfect balance of the two. The film is called "Insomnia" for a reason and Nolan makes the sleeplessness of the main character much more overt and important to the story here. This is created both visually and through dialogue much more frankly than in the original.

But Nolan's biggest triumph here is handcuffing Pacino, making him hold back constantly, forcing him to turn in one of the best performances of his career since the 70's. Pacino has always been loud, hammy and over-the-top, but in Nolan's hands he becomes inert, stifled and cunning. I usually hate Pacino. Hate him! And I loved him in this film. He's perfectly cast and perfectly directed. The same can be said for Robin Williams. Cast as the "bad guy," Williams is restrained and creepy. For Nolan to take two of America's most obvious over-actors and direct them into the corner, to force them to be restrained, is nothing short of a miracle.

The cast is further accented by Hilary Swank who turns in a glowing role as a naive young police officer who finds herself confronting a paradox of conscience. Swank's first appearance in the film finds her smiling wide, toothy grin agape, and she becomes a breath of fresh air in the film, an angelic personification of the beauty of the Alaskan countryside here. (Much like Pacino is a personification of it's rain slicked streets and damp oppressiveness). Swank's role becomes even more important as the film progresses until, eventually, her own character's arc reverberates with the echo of the film's main theme and plot as well.

Other familiar faces flesh out the film with acting that is top notch including Nicky Katt, Maura Tierney (of TV's "News Radio"), Martin Donovan, Paul Dooley and little hottie Jonathan Jackson (who is perfectly costumed as teen angst). Jackson's scene with Pacino is one of the most crisp and edgy moments in the film and it makes one wish the older actor got a chance to do an entire film with a teenage counterpart who was equal to his skills.

"Insomnia" is just a wicked, wicked film. It's edgy, involving and cinematically awesome (and by that I mean it is awe-striking). Nolan has crafted an Americanized version of a cult foreign film but has done so without simply copying or, conversely, completely changing it. The film is far more dialogue driven than it's originator, but utilizes this change to create tension and help with the expression of the character development. Here, the words compliment the visuals rather than subjugating themselves to them. To say it is "wordy" should not give the impression that it is not, also, cinematic. Nolan utilizes image as much as verbosity to tell his tale.

Pacino gives a performance that resonates with a crisis of conscience, descending into a shallow pit of regret and disillusionment, the like of which we haven't seen in films since the late 70's. And the film is beautiful in it's isolation and eternal glare. Although a bit water-logged in plot in it's final act, "Insomnia" will not fail to surprise and amaze viewers.

Report Card Script: A Acting: A+ Cinematography\Lighting: A+ Special Effects\Make Up: A+ Music: A Final Grade: A+

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