Insomnia (1997)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers:

Nikolaj Frobenius (writer)
Erik Skjoldbjærg (writer)

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Den som synder, sover ikke.

Plot:

Two criminal investigators arrive in a town in the north of Norway to help the local police solve the murder of a young girl...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Murder | Swede | Norway | Murderer

Cast

Maria Mathiesen	...	Tanja Lorentzen
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jonas Engström
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Erik Vik
Gisken Armand	...	Hilde Hagen
Kristian Figenschow	...	Arne Zakariassen (as Kristian Fr. Figenschow)
Thor Michael Aamodt	...	Tom Engen
Frode Rasmussen	...	Chief of Police
Bjørn Moan	...	Eilert
Maria Bonnevie	...	Ane
Marianne O. Ulrichsen	...	Frøya
Bjørn Floberg	...	Jon Holt

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian | Swedish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:MA | France:U | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated | Australia:M (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Nyksund, Norway

Company:

Nordic Screen Production AS

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jonas is hit by the car during the bus chase scene, in the close-up shots of the windshield he clearly cracks it but in the wide shots it is unmarked.

Movie Connections:

References Vertigo (1958)

Soundtrack:

Abby Road

Fascinating thriller with a brilliant performance from the woefully underrated Stellan Skarsgard.

I was REALLY impressed by 'Insomnia', the directorial debut from Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg. If this movie is any indication of his talents he is one writer/director to watch! I have yet to see Christopher Nolan's Hollywood remake of this movie but I would be extremely surprised if it manages to equal it, let alone top it. (And I absolutely loved 'Memento') At first you think you're going to see something you've seen a hundred times, a mismatched "buddy" cop movie or your standard serial killer mystery, but the movie quickly enters unfamiliar territory and manages to subvert expectations. Apart from Stellan Skarsgard ('Breaking The Waves', 'Ronin') the cast was unknown to me, but they are all first rate, and I couldn't say there was a bad piece of acting throughout. But Skarsgard, a woefully underrated actor, steals the whole show with an utterly brilliant and compelling performance that shows a depth rarely seen by Hollywood actors, especially in thrillers. 'Insomnia' is a fantastic movie that I cannot fault. The less you know about it the better. Whatever you do, SEE this movie! Highly recommended, especially for those sick and tired at how most thrillers made these days are so predictable and formulaic. It doesn't have to be so, and 'Insomnia' proves it!