Sleepless (2017)
Directed by: Baran bo Odar
Written by: Andrea Berloff
Starring: David Harbour, Dermot Mulroney, Jamie Foxx, Michelle Monaghan
Jamie Foxx is a grizzled, undercover detective, in the American remake of Nuit Blanche (Sleepless Night), whose day goes from bad to worse following a robbery, where he and his partner steal a bag full of cocaine worth a considerable amount of money. After being identified, the dealer kidnaps his son and demands the return of the stolen drugs. This opens up a rabbit hole of dirty cops, double crossing and drug dealers on the rampage. The more he tries to get out of it, the worse things seem to get. Set mostly at a Vegas casino, where the exchange takes place, it’s a race against time for him to retrieve his son and take down the dealers and anyone else involved.
Foxx’s character starts off as a morally ambiguous, stubborn man, but the further things unravel, the more you see his motivation. Unsure of who trust, he sets about things alone, and while it’s not quite the one man army film you may come to expect, it still has some decent action, although the editing at times does leave a lot to be desired, particularly during a ruck in a nightclub. It’s a stylish looking thriller, with plenty going on for its fairly lean running time, and as the story unfolds it does become a little predictable, and it’s just a matter of when that specific plot thread will finally be revealed. There’s plenty of twists, with a paranoid undertone, as it’s apparent no one can be trusted and half the police force is on the take, too. But despite the many twists and turns the plot makes, it’s pretty obvious where it’s going, and is even left open for a sequel as well. As far as performances go, Foxx plays things pretty well, and can kick ass along the rest of them. The same can be said of Michelle Monaghan’s persistent internal affairs investigator, who is pretty good at holding her own.
For a dirty cop thriller, it’s entertaining, with some good action scenes but it’s nothing more than that. It’s a decent way to pass 90 minutes, but will likely be out of mind the next day. It’s left open for a sequel, which could potentially take things up a notch.
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