Robin Williams – Insomnia: “Playing with Pacino is fascinating”
In 2002, Première met the team of Christopher Nolan's thriller. Flashback, on the occasion of its rebroadcast on Arte.
Channel 7 will broadcast tonight Insomnia, a successful remake of a Norwegian thriller released in 1997 with Stellan Skarsgaard. When it was released in November 2002, First had been won over by this cop story (Al Pacino) on the trail of a killer (Robin Williams) and suffering from insomnia. An evil all the stronger because he is investigating in Alaska, in the middle of polar daylight, so much so that he can no longer distinguish day from night.
“We find there, with less artifice, the singular talent of the director to film as closely as possible the wanderings of a disturbed mind, wrote Christian Jauberty about this thriller Christopher Nolan. We also find the desire to take the time to explore subtle themes such as the ambivalence of morality and the feeling of guilt.”
Highlighting the future director's ability toOppenheimer to also film some memorable action scenes (notably “a nice chase on logs”), he insisted on the fact that'Insomnia is before everything “a psychological thriller that skillfully plays on what is happening in the heads of the characters as well as those of the spectators.”
The fact of choosing someone accustomed to the roles of cops, Serpico has Heatand a comedian famous for his humor but in search of darker characters -via Photo Obsession, for example- was also highlighted. He concluded his review by a praise of the Pacino/Williams duo: “If it is difficult to imagine two more different actors a priori, their face to face is all the more delicious.”
A few pages later, Sacha Reins met Al Pacino, as exhausted by the promotion of the film as by its filming!
“In fact, I am especially familiar with voluntary insomnia,the actor then vowed, referring to his younger years. There was a time when I could go days and nights without sleeping, hanging around and swallowing anything. I haven't always been an example of balance.”
Explaining that he had to apologize to Michelle Pfeiffer because he was so excessive on the set of Scarface, in 1983, he said he had calmed down over the years. To the point of approaching Insomnia in a more serene way, and knowing full well that the public would be waiting for him around the corner.
“I know people like to see me in this kind of role. So, from time to time, I put the costume back on…”, he said before confiding: “A film is like a big orchestra. Everyone has to play together, at the same level, but it's not that simple, I know.”
Christopher Nolan and Robin Williams then took the floor to discuss their work with Al Pacino. “He knows he can impress people and is very intimidating because of his background, explained the director, for example. So he's very careful, he does everything to make you feel comfortable.”
“Playing with Pacino is fascinating, declared Robin Williams, who tragically passed away in 2014, alongside him. We always have the impression that he only uses part of his resources, that he keeps the rest under the hood and that he can, at any moment, give a boost and make everything explode. I noticed it when I was messing around on set. Few players outbid. Al was going into improv and I could see that he enjoyed it. I'm sure he'd love to do crazy things like Jim (Carrey) or me: talk with his ass, play castanets with his balls, imitate Clinton in front of the “glans” jury.”
Amused by this statement, Pacino did not confirm the words of his playing partner!
“I am indeed very admiring of those who know how to do that, he replied to Williams. I went to see Robin in his one-man show and he knocked me out. This guy is a genius. I wouldn't be able to do what he does.”
The trailer forInsomniato be seen again this evening on Arte (but also visible on VOD on First Max), can be seen below. Christopher Nolan can also be found in the new number of First : he gave us a long career interview on the occasion of his honorary César.
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