Insomnia (2002) - Nolan hones filmmaking skills with solid thriller

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+ Best Alaska Movie of the Year + Best Detective Movie of the Year + Best Remake of the Year

 

A gloomy darkness and a feeling of dread hangs over this poster for Christopher Nolan's Insomnia

Two LAPD homicide detectives are sent to a remote part of Alaska to investigate the murder of a teenage girl, but things go haywire in the almost ceaseless daylight of the extreme North.

 

Insomnia is written by Hillary Seitz (Early Bird Special (2001)) and directed by English master filmmaker Christopher Nolan (Following (1998)), whose 3rd feature it is. It is a remake of Erik Skjoldbjærg's same-titled 1997 Norwegian film.

An excellent 'little' thriller, Insomnia sports a masterful Al Pacino (The Irishman (2019)) and Robin Williams (Jumanji (1995)), who is good here in an unusual villainous part as a bestial murderer with inferiority complexes. The film also distinguishes itself with its insomnia theme, which is illustrated cinematically in Pacino's character's increasing confusion along with the entire plot, which is generally credible. Perhaps except for the spectacular Hollywood-type ending. (Although this is not to say that the film would be better off without said ending.)

 

Related posts:

Christopher Nolan: 2023 in films - according to Film Excess 

Oppenheimer (2023) - Nolan treats aficionados of history, politics, science - and cinema 

2020 in films - according to Film Excess

Tenet (2020) - Nolan blows smoke up your ass 

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
2017 in films - according to Film Excess 
Dunkirk (2017) - Nolan champions cinema with masterful war movie  

Top 10: Best future-set movies
Interstellar (2014) - Nolan heads to space in opulent, exciting epic
2014 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight Rises (2012) or, Batman and the Storm, Darkness, Anarchy, Evil, Depression
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess  
Inception (2010) - Nolan's best is a grand piece of action sci-fi, perfectly awesome nonsense 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III] 

2008 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
2008 in films - according to Film Excess
The Dark Knight (2008) - Nolan's best Batman 

The Prestige (2006) - Nolan's overrated magician picture 
Batman Begins (2005) or, Modern, Dark, Smooth Batman 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 
Memento (2000) - Nolan's overrated amnesia mindfuck   
Following (1998) - Nolan's ineffectual debut

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 46 mil. $

Box office: 113.7 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.47 times its cost)

[Insomnia premiered 3 May (Tribeca Film Festival, New York) and runs 118 minutes. Pacino was paid 11 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from April - June 2001 in Alaska and British Columbia. The film opened #3, behind holdover hits Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Spider-Man, to a 20.9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it fell out of the top 5 in its 2nd weekend, grossing 67.3 mil. $ (59.2 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 7.8 mil. $ (6.9 %) and Japan with 7 mil. $ (6.2 %). Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Nolan returned with Batman Begins (2005). Pacino returned in S1m0ne (2002); Williams in The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2003, TV movie) and Freedom: A History of US (2003, TV-series) prior to his theatrical return in The Final Cut (2004); and Hilary Swank (The Hunt (2020)) in The Space Between (2002, short) and theatrically in The Core (2003). Insomnia is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Insomnia?

Patch Adams (1998) - Rousing Williams performance steers Shadyac's sentimental biopic

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A child puts a clown nose on star Robin Williams' warm, endeared face on this bright poster for Tom Shadyac's Patch Adams

 

Following a suicidal personal crisis in a mental hospital Hunter Adams learns which direction his life should take: As a doctor he wants to make the ill laugh and meet them as fellow human beings. But this brings him on a collision course with the norms in his profession.

 

Patch Adams is written by Steve Oederkerk (Bruce Almighty (2003)), based on the book Gesundheit! (1998) by the real-life Patch Adams and Maureen Mylander, and directed by Virginian master filmmaker Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)), whose 4th feature it is.

Robin Williams (Bicentennial Man (1999)) carries this film, and he makes 'Patch' a moving acquaintance. Patch Adams is more dramatic than most Shadyac films: Monica Potter (Boston Legal (2004-05)) gives a good supporting performance as Patch's girlfriend, and what happens to her in the film is heavy. You'll need a hard heart not to feel the laughter and well-being spread in many scenes. Bob Gunton (Royal Pains (2010-16)) is fine as a doctor antagonist, and Michael Jeter (Jurassic Park III (2001)) and others are good in small parts. 

Patch Adams is excessively sentimental but lovely all the same. A couple of Patch's gags in the film are made in an exaggerated version, (one involves enormous women's legs made of papier-mâché at the medical school; another an entire pool filled with spaghetti), and the exaggeration for emphasis is a bit ridiculous. Patch Adams is all about Williams, whose face here expresses that special wealth of emotion that made him so unique and beloved.

 

Related posts:

 

Tom Shadyac: The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Evan Almighty (2007) - Shadyac's monumentally miscalculated sequel/professional gravestone (hope not) 

Bruce Almighty (2003) - Carrey makes laughter in well-made what-if-you-were-God-comedy

1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) - 6th gear Jim Carrey smacker

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 50-90 mil. $ (different accounts)

Box office: 202.2 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.88 times its cost)

[Patch Adams premiered 21 October (USA) and runs 115 minutes. Williams was reportedly paid 21 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took  place from February - June 1998 in North Carolina and California. The film opened #1 to a 25.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent one more weekend at #1 and then another 5 in the top 5 (#2-#2-#2-#2-#3), grossing 135 mil. $ (66.8 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for the Best Score - Comedy/Musical Oscar (Marc Shaiman (Bros (2022))), lost to Stephen Warbeck for Shakespeare in Love. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 1.5/4 star review, translating to 3 notches under this one. Shadyac returned with Dragonfly (2002). Williams returned in One Saturday Morning (1998, TV-series), L.A. Doctors (1999, TV-series) and theatrically in Jakob the Liar (1999). Patch Adams is rotten at 21 % with a 4.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Patch Adams? 

Hook (1991) - Arr, Spielbergian folly

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Big stars and high adventure is promised on this craftily done poster for Steven Spielberg's Hook

Peter Pan has grown up and is a lawyer and a family father, and on his family's Christmas trip to his childhood home in England his kids get kidnapped, and Peter realizes that he also belongs in a fantastical land ...

  

Hook is written by James V. Hart (Contact (1997)) and Malia Scotch Marmo (Once Around (1991)), with Nick Castle (Escape from New York (1981)) contributing story elements, based on Peter and Wendy (1911) by J.M. Barrie (Better Dead (1887)), and directed by Ohioan master filmmaker Steven Spielberg (The Sugarland Express (1974)), whose 12th feature it is.

Just about everything is wrong here, where, Spielberg paradoxically, - a decade after having made arguably the best family picture of all time (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)), - makes arguably the worst family picture of all time also, - at least one of the worst major budget Hollywood pictures for a very long time. - Infamous turkeys like Waterworld (1995) and Heaven's Gate (1980) are awesome pictures compared to the thoroughly artificial, fake feel of Hook:

Peter Pan has been molded unto an unsympathetic lawyer (as a fan since childhood of Disney's 1953 Peter Pan this just about makes me growl with enmity and lack of understanding), and using cliché #1 straight from the handbook it seems, he is a neglectful father due to his missing his son's soccer game, (according to Hollywood this particular action seems to be the original sin for the modern father.) This all makes me (for the first time) actively dislike Robin Williams (Old Dogs (2009)) here for his participation in this phoney-baloney. Later the same befalls Dustin Hoffman (Chef (2014)), (the dope!), SPOILER who actually murders a child towards the end of the film here as Captain Hook, - a dark ploy that is wholly unnecessary and forgotten immediately after, only making one even more vitriolic towards the ugly, over-produced, fundamentally poorly conceptualized Hook.

Williams' wife in the film, for no discernible reason, loses her composure at being in his childhood home (...). Later he kisses Maggie Smith (Quartet (2012)) (...) and Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart (2014, TV movie)), (who plays Tinker Bell and gets nothing to do), before he returns to family life, changed to his core. Ridiculous, overlong and continually nauseating, the film also boasts two unconvincing child performances from Williams' Peter Pan's offspring, plus a strange detail in that while the children's real life is white only, the fantasy group of children in Neverland are in full Benetton colors. The only mitigating quality about Hook? - Peter Pan flies dreamily. 

 

Related posts:

Steven Spielberg: The Fabelmans (2022) or, My Wonderful Upbringing

2017 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Post (2017) - Spielberg returns to mastery with a thrilling salute to the virtues of real, critical, brave journalism
2012 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
Lincoln (2012) - Spielberg's inspiring presidential portrait stands tall 
War Horse (2011) - Spielberg visits WWI with problematic horse drama  
The Adventures of Tintin/The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) - Affinities for Tintin, earlier Spielberg and film will decide your experience of this 3D mo-cap adventure
Super 8 (2011) - Abrams' nostalgic family crowdpleaser (producer)

The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Munich (2005) - Spielberg wrings a brilliant spy thriller from fraught real-life massacre and its aftermath

2001 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Band of Brothers - TV mini-series (2001) - WWII-sacrifice and -comradeship portrayed with skill and integrity (producer) 

Top 10: Best future-set movies 
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) - A robot fairy tale with both heart and mind
Amistad (1997) or, Must... Free... Slaves! 
Empire of the Sun (1987) - Spielberg's grand production of boy-in-China-during-WWII is a misfire

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (story) 
Twilight Zone The Movie (1983) - Fear takes many forms in tragedy-struck anthology

Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - Spielberg's greatest accomplishment
1941 (1979) - Spielberg's bizarre 'comedy spectacular' sinks like a rock  
Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Duel (1971) - Spielberg's truck terror is ideal afternoon fare 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 70 mil. $

Box office: 300.8 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.29 times its cost)

[Hook premiered 8 December (Hollywood) and runs 142 minutes. Spielberg developed the film in the 1980s and then left the project. Castle was eventually paid 500k $ to abandon the director's chair for Spielberg's return to it. Spielberg, Williams and Hoffman had a pay deal with no salary but instead they got 20 mil. $ from the first 50 mil. $ in gross rentals, then nothing for the following 70 mil. $ and then 40 % again thereafter. It is unclear if the deal also pertains to the foreign gross numbers. Roberts reportedly was paid 7 mil. $ for her performance. Shooting took place from February - August 1991 in London, England, California, including in Los Angeles, and in Hawaii. The shoot went 40 days over schedule, which Spielberg later stated was "his fault", consequently ballooning the cost from 48 mil. $ to approximately 70 mil. $. Spielberg and Roberts had a falling out during production, and she has stated that he hesitated "to come to my defense" and labeled him a "turncoat". The film opened #1 to a 13.5 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 3 weekends at #1 and then another 3 in the top 5, grossing 119.6 mil. $ (39.8 % of the total gross). The foreign gross numbers have regrettably not been public. The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning none. It lost Best Set Decoration-Art Direction to Bugsy, Costume Design to Bugsy, Visual Effects to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Makeup to Terminator 2 as well and Song (When You're Alone by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse) to Beauty and the Beast by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken from Beauty and the Beast. It was also nominated for a Grammy and a Golden Globe, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Spielberg told Empire magazine in 2018 about the film: "I felt like a fish out of water making Hook... I didn't have confidence in the script. I had confidence in the first act and I had confidence in the epilogue. I didn't have confidence in the body of it. I didn't quite know what I was doing and I tried to paint over my insecurity with production value. The more insecure I felt about it, the bigger and more colorful the sets became." Spielberg returned with Jurassic Park (1993). Williams returned in 4 TV, short and voicing roles prior to his theatrical physical return in Toys (1992); Hoffman in A Wish for Wings that Work (1991, TV movie) and theatrically in Hero (1992); Roberts in The Player (1992); and Bob Hoskins (Doomsday (2008)) in The Inner Circle (1991). Hook is rotten at 29 % with a 4.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hook? 

One Hour Photo (2002) - Romanek, Williams and Co. capture a troubling thriller

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+ Best Psychological Thriller of the Year 

 

Star Robin Williams develops film wearing white gloves on this poster for Mark Romanek's One Hour Photo

The kind department store photo developer Sy does his job with care and a smile. But he is in fact a devastatingly lonely man, who over the course of several years have brought home with him the photos of one specific family. Now he loses his job, which is his only connection to reality.

 

One Hour Photo is written and directed by great Illinoisan filmmaker Mark Romanek (Static (1985)).

Robin Williams (Aladdin (1992)) once again shows new facets to his vast acting talent as Sy, the tormented protagonist that he makes us both feel sympathy and fear for here. Connie Nielsen (Gladiator (2000)) and the rest of the supporting cast are also fantastic.

One Hour Photo is almost mechanical in its visual competence, (Romanek is an accomplished music video director; Jeff Cronenweth (Hitchcock (2012)) did the cinematography here.) The film is tight and thrilling. One Hour Photo never sensationalizes its plot. It is a role-model of a psychological thriller.

 

Related post:

 

2002 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 12 mil. $

Box office: 52.2 mil. $

= Big hit (returned 4.35 times its cost)

[One Hour Photo premiered 13 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 96 minutes. Shooting took place from October 2000 - January 2001 in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #24 to a 321k $ first weekend in 7 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #3 and in 1,332 theaters (different weeks), grossing 31.5 mil. $ ( 60.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 3.3 mil. $ (6.3 %) and Australia with 2.2 mil. $ (5.2 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Romanek returned with scores of music video and theatrically with Never Let Me Go (2010). Williams returned in Death to Smoochy (2002). One Hour Photo is certified fresh at 81 % with a 7/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of One Hour Photo? 

The Night Listener (2006) - Robin Williams leads strong cast in twisted, edgy late-nighter

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Stars look less than hopeful on this dark and gloomy poster for Patrick Stettner's The Night Listener

A prominent radio host storyteller in New York gets dumped by his younger boyfriend and comes into connection with a 14 year-old boy, who has been abused. - But is the boy real?

 

The Night Listener is written by Terry Anderson (The Young Graduates (1971, original story)), Armistead Maupin (Babycakes (1984, novel)) and co-writer/director Patrick Stettner (The Business of Strangers (2001)). It is an adaptation of the same-titled 2000 novel by Maupin, and is based on a true story that presented itself to Maupin.

It is a very dark and sombre Christmas movie, which benefits immensely from its strong actors: Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy (1978-82)) is credible in the protagonist role, and we more or less understand what makes him travel to Wisconsin to know for sure about the boy. Rory Culkin (Hick (2011)) is taunting in the central, controversial role as said boy; it is a 'grey zone' role involving scenes with sexual overtones that will strike some as off-putting, (although the two characters only speak on the phone together.) SPOILER Toni Collette (Knives Out (2019)) is central and chilling as the woman who invents incest stories (and a human being) to gain attention and sympathy.

The Night Listener is a disturbing 'late-night-watch'-type movie for grownups. 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 3 mil. $

Box office: 10.6 mil. $ 

= Big hit (returned 3.53 times its cost)

[The Night Listener premiered 21 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 81 minutes. The story is based on Maupin's experience of getting sent an abuse story novel manuscript in 1992, allegedly from a 14 year-old boy, who turned out to be a creation of the woman Vicki Johnson. Williams was paid 65k $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place around April 2005 in New York and New Jersey. The film opened #10 to a 3.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it never achieved a higher rank and grossed 7.8 mil. $ (73.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 1.3 mil. $ (12.3 %) and Mexico with 577k $ (5.4 %). Stettner has only returned as writer/director of a TV-series episode in 2012 but has otherwise left filmmaking completely. Williams returned in RV (2006); Collette in Murderous Intent (2006); and Culkin in Lymelife (2008). The Night Listener is rotten at 40 % with a 5.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Night Listener?