This compelling 1992 drama is often cited as the third film in writer-director Paul Schrader's trilogy of "nocturnal alienation" that includes Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (which Schrader wrote) and American Gigolo. Like those other films; this one deals with a solitary man who works almost exclusively at night; and the film immerses us in the rhythms and psychology of his lifestyle. In this case; Willem Dafoe plays a cocaine addict who has kicked the habit that almost killed him; but still delivers drugs to clients for a dealer (Susan Sarandon) who dreams of opening a legitimate cosmetics business. He meets an old lover (Dana Delany) who fears he will draw her into their old life of drug abuse; but that proves to be the least of their worries. Simultaneously sad; funny; and fascinating; the film inevitably leads to the outburst of violence that has become a kind of signature in Schrader's work. It lacks the visceral impact of Taxi Driver; but few directors can match Schrader's gift for creating fully realized characters on the fringes of a society to which they don't quite belong. Insomnia; in Schrader's world; is a condition suffered by those whose dreams remain elusive; just beyond their grasp. --Jeff Shannon