Christopher Nolan Thinks One of His Movies is Criminally Underrated
It may be the most overlooked, but it is also the most curious and unusual of the director's career.
Insomnia is a solid detective story by Christopher Nolan with an intricate plot, unhurried narration and a slightly uncomfortable atmosphere.
The movie is based on the confrontation between the heroes of Al Pacino and Robin Williams, who embody diametrically different characters on the screen.
Insomnia can be called the least Nolan-ish movie – the director's hand is not particularly noticeable here, and he also didn't put his hand on the script.
The movie, which in many ways does not fit in with everything Nolan has done before and after, is the director's most underrated movie to date, something he himself agrees with.
Tom Shone's book The Nolan Variations even includes a commentary by Nolan himself:
"I think, of all my films, it's probably the most underrated. [...] The reality is it's one of my most personal films in terms of what it was to make it. [...] That's not really for me to say, but every now and again I meet a filmmaker and that's actually the film that they're interested in or want to talk about."
Christopher was not supposed to direct Insomnia – it was originally planned to be directed by Jonathan Demme, and the lead role of Detective Dormer was supposed to be played by Harrison Ford.
Insomnia is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian movie of the same name, which is also atypical for Nolan.
Some can say that his Dark Knight is a remake of Tim Burton's movies, but that is a big stretch, while in the case of the 2002 movie, the connection is clear and undeniable.
In addition, Nolan had to work with two major stars of world cinema, with Robin Williams appearing in Insomnia in a new role for him as a villain.
Directing a movie with both Williams and Al Pacino is a serious pressure that can make hands shake.
Insomnia is a subtle and expressive picture, which proves that Nolan, at the beginning of his directing career, was especially attracted to intimate, inconspicuous cinema.
Despite its Norwegian roots, Insomnia is a Hollywood-style thriller: comprehensible, multifaceted, exciting and starring amazing actors.
And this is the last "small" movie in Nolan's career. After that he started to make really expensive movies.