Tonight’s movie: Insomnia

About a Boy was sold out so we switched around the schedule and saw Insomnia instead. Make no mistake, this is an Al Pacino acting showcase. Hilary Swank is alright but has a fairly small role; Robin Williams’ part is bigger and he does a superb job, very understated and quite the opposite of his work in, for example, Death to Smoochy. But Pacino is the man here, in every scene, making every important move. His eyes, burdened with the weight of being awake, seem like they weigh half a ton by the end. Director Christopher Nolan (Memento) makes excellent use of the round the clock sunlight in Alaskan summers. And maybe it was just me but I thought the ending was ambiguous enough to give one some hope for Pacino’s detective. Recommended