Крістофер Нолан / Paramount
Christopher Nolan is perhaps best known to modern audiences as the director of the buzzed-about 2023 movie “Oppenheimer,” for which he won an “Oscar”, as well as for sci-fi films “Interstellar” and “Tenet.” However, the early works of the creator also contain many interesting projects — not properly appreciated.
According to the director himself, among them is the high-budget psychological thriller “Insomnia” starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. The film debuted in 2002 and was later overshadowed by Nolan’s transition to epic blockbusters. In an interview for Tom Shone’s book “The Nolan Variations” (via worldofreel), the director confessed that he admires “Insomnia” for many reasons, including personal:
“I am very proud of this film and consider it, perhaps, the most underrated in my portfolio. In reality — it is one of my most personal projects. It was a very bright period of my life, my first studio film, and my first work with big stars”.
“Insomnia” is essentially a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film starring Stellan Skarsgård. Nolan preserved some elements and rhythms of the original, however, he made it more atmospheric. The plot follows two detectives
from Los Angeles traveling to Alaska to investigate the murder of a young girl.
Nolan also emphasizes that “Insomnia” in his overall oeuvre is perhaps “the most direct and most naturally suited to the genre of cinema he aspires to.”
We remind you that the director is currently working on the adaptation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey”, which, according to rumors, might become the most expensive project in Nolan’s career. This is not surprising, considering the previous cast — Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Lupita Nyong’o.