Sleepless is a cheap thrill but it’s a cheap thrill that relies on the charisma of its actors, and the fun of its plot, to get by.
The phrase “lower your expectations” springs to mind. My expectations walking into Sleepless were zero so I can’t in good conscience suggest that the fact that I was pleasantly surprised by it is much of a compliment. But the film does make sense, within the tenuous logical structure of action movies, and shows a surprising amount of restraint (it has multiple scenes inside a women’s locker room and never even teases nudity, let alone makes it gratuitous). Most of all though, it does seem like at least a few people derived a sense of fun from making it. Michelle Monaghan’s turn as a brassy no-nonsense detective is a decent example of this.
She’s such an enjoyably stereotypical hard case and you can’t help but get a minor thrill out of her chewing the scenery that’s usually served to an aging Pacino or De Niro. In true form to most crime schlock you can never fully tell whether her character is an attempt at feminism that doesn’t quite work or just accidentally a little feminist, but she’s an entertaining presence to go through the wringer with; and go through the wringer these characters most certainly do.
It’s a little like a comedy of errors but with criminal underworld cliches. Each principal character is in a constant state of desperation but can never let any of the others know of it, intensifying the cat and mouse angle. If you haven’t seen any promotional footage from the film then it’s probably best to keep it that way as it reveals certain plot points that are kept up the sleeve for most of the film and it doesn’t really sell the basic premise either.
Nearly all of Sleepless takes place inside a casino on one night. In return for his kidnapped son, Jamie Foxx’s crooked cop must attempt to trade back a stash of stolen drugs to a casino boss with gangland aspirations who needs the drugs to end up in the hands of the youngest, fallen on hard times, son of the local kingpin. All the while being doggedly pursued by Monaghan’s Internal Affairs agent, going off script herself in an effort to regain face. It’s overall quite well structured and it moves along pacily, which softens the blow of some of the more obvious plot twists.
This is probably due to its origins, Sleepless is a remake of the 2011 film Nuit Blanche, but in general it seems to have a slightly different flavour to the B-grade gang life and corrupt officials filler of today. There’s never a point where the film feels like it’s taking itself completely seriously. There’s a distinct 90s vibe to it, and it’s genuinely trying to be entertaining if not particularly original. I was genuinely a little shocked that there wasn’t a point where someone slammed their fist on a desk and complained about the mayor being up their ass.
It feels like a potboiler from some genuinely talented people rather than genuinely talented people slumming for a paycheck and loathing every second of every day of production. It has a certain lurid dime store detective novel quality to it that’s oddly endearing, if you’re into that type of thing. I’ve never seen the original film but Sleepless is clearly working off of a solid structure and never descends into total nonsensicalness. It’s short, gritty and silly. It’s an unhealthy snack rather than a nourishing meal, so indulge in it if you have the appetite.
Sleepless will be released in UK cinemas on May 5th.
