Insomnia Manica (2005) Online

I have not and will not see this film. There is something ethically wrong when the director not only writes the summary of his film, but also posts a 10-star review with the title "Brilliant."

Let's define fast-paced: Jason Statham on a life-or-death adrenaline rush (Crank) this is not. I'd call this the art house definition of fast-paced, which means that the movie gives you just enough time to look at the screen and take in what the cinematography has to tell.

With that out of the way, here are the pros: It's immersive. It's heavily visual and you are a fly on the wall. The ambient sound is very well done (the music is another story). The intimacy is amazingly done (the sex, not so much), and there are a few powerful scenes of friendship, family and love. There's the struggle of the characters to become the better predator in this desolate concrete jungle, and this shifting dynamic is shown in a clever and disturbing way. The non-verbal acting is very good, especially from the lead female talent.

And now for the cons. They wouldn't seem so glaring if most of the movie weren't so nicely understated. SPOILER: the insomnia isn't nearly as central to the plot as the title would have you believe. It feels tacked on. The sex and action scenes have poor choreography and worse execution. I've seen better at an amateur wrestling match. The scene where the gypsy places her curse is just plain awful. The music often exaggerates the mood to the point of being ridiculous. The voiced acting is often ham-fisted, notably from the supporting male talent.

So there you have it...a very good movie marred by a few errors. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and I recommend it. It reminds me of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and True Romance, but with a distinctive style of its own and much darker. It also has a very slight Casino feel.

Normally, I would say rent before you buy, but I picked mine up on a whim at a dollar store...I have no buyer's remorse, and I certainly don't plan on sliding it under a drink.

6.4/10.

This film is made in the tradition of the European masters Bergman and Fellini. It is an urban visual narrative that is chaotic and static at the same time. Not to be mistaken for low budget fluff. Insomnia Manica is a psychological thriller that is deep and profound. Audience members have reported feeling chilled, cold, shaken, unnerved, touched and horrified during the film. The visual and cinematic mastery of this film brakes down preexisting psychological barriers. That is why the film won best director and best feature at the New York Film festival. If you are ready for a cinematic experience that is penetrating and disturbing psychologically, emotionally and physically let yourself go into the world of Insomnia Manica.

There are bad movies you can still enjoy, then there is stuff like this. The summery said it's fast paced, the first 30 minutes felt like hours and it didn't get any better, I found myself looking forward to the ending just so it would be over. I'm not going to tell you anymore than is in the summery itself, which is the same as on the DVD box. This movie is about a guy that steals a purse from an old gypsy women and she curses him to stay awake until he dies. Sounds interesting right? He robs drug deals and destroys there drugs. OK that's good, sort of Robin Hood-ish. Maybe I missed something, maybe I fell asleep it was just nonsensical and boring. Those thing were in the movie, but many other elements were there as well that seemed to have very little to do with the actual story line. Did I mention it was slow? Well it is. I really wish I could find the words to say something meaningful about this film, I'm at a loss. This movie is just bad it has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. The DVD on the other hand could be used as a coaster.

The cinematography is amateurish and simple, what was it shot with a HandyCam? It has tons of cinematic cliché and dialog straight out of a dime store novel, really I've seen better acting in a high school play. I'm not kidding. Many of the scene were just to long and to slow to keep your attention. So if you want fast paced, watch CRANK or go watch grass grow or paint dry your time will be better spent.

If you have insomnia I recommend Insomnia Manica as a cure, you'll be asleep in no time.