JasonEvans
07-13-2010, 12:56 PM
Hollywood is bereft of original ideas. Nothing new or challenging or actually thoughtful comes out of Hollywood anymore.
That is what everyone has been saying lately... and they are right.
And then along came Christopher Nolan ;)
In a word, Inception is incredible. It is a complicated film that tells a story so full of layers and interpretations I cannot imagine what the screenplay must have looked like. The film is confusing, make not mistake about it. My wife was peppering me with questions throughout and we spent an hour after it was done discussing what had happened and what it meant. Do not go in expecting a film that lays everything out for you in a nice, easy fashion.
But that is ok -- heck it is great! I want a film that challenges the audience and forces it to think about what is going on. I want some questions and conversation about what it all meant. I guarantee one thing, the moment the movie ends, you will turn to the people next to you and begin talking about what happened... and you won't stop talking about it for a while.
The acting is strong, with a nice ensemble cast surrounding Leo. I am not sure I would call this an "actor's movie" though as the complexity of the story dominates the film. Still, no one stinks up the screen and all the characters are believable.
http://content6.flixster.com/rtmovie/67/28/67288_ori.jpg
The special effects are wonderful and propel the film at a breakneck pace, but they somehow manage to not be overwhelming -- which almost seems impossible in retrospect. There is one fight scene about 3/4 of the way through the movie involving Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a nameless attacker that is one of the best directed and executed fight scenes I have ever seen. It was groundbreaking and jaw-dropping, much like some of the action in the first Matrix film. When the scene ended, I found myself breaking into applause -- EVEN THOUGH THE MOVIE WAS STILL GOING!! I heard several other people in the theater clapping too and many murmurs of "wow!" form elsewhere. Needless to say, there was even more applause from the crowd when the film did end ;)
It is worth noting that the effects are woven beautifully into the story. They are not extraneous eye-candy, they are an integral part of what is going on and explaining the worlds we are in.
http://content7.flixster.com/rtmovie/67/23/67237_ori.jpg
I keep on going back to the story, because it is so impressive. At one point, the film is telling something like 4 stories at the same time. In many ways, this film hearkens back to the first film that got Christopher Nolan noticed, Memento, which was so notable for its complexly layered story. Like Memento, this picture is a study of what happens inside the mind. If you enjoyed that film, you will certainly like this one too.
I have rambled long enough. Suffice it to say that Inception is one of the finest science fiction films ever made. It has a long running time, close to 2 1/2 hours, and you may get frustrated at times because of the complexity of the story -- but it is worth it! It is a pity Nolan's films always get released in the summer, because if this was released around Christmas and promoted for an Oscar run, it would be almost a shoe-in for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Please note-- there are no spoilers in this post and I would discourage them in this thread... I'll start a separate thread for discussion of the film among folks who have already seen it and can tolerate spoilers.
--Jason "What a truly remarkable film. A must see, in my opinion" Evans
That is what everyone has been saying lately... and they are right.
And then along came Christopher Nolan ;)
In a word, Inception is incredible. It is a complicated film that tells a story so full of layers and interpretations I cannot imagine what the screenplay must have looked like. The film is confusing, make not mistake about it. My wife was peppering me with questions throughout and we spent an hour after it was done discussing what had happened and what it meant. Do not go in expecting a film that lays everything out for you in a nice, easy fashion.
But that is ok -- heck it is great! I want a film that challenges the audience and forces it to think about what is going on. I want some questions and conversation about what it all meant. I guarantee one thing, the moment the movie ends, you will turn to the people next to you and begin talking about what happened... and you won't stop talking about it for a while.
The acting is strong, with a nice ensemble cast surrounding Leo. I am not sure I would call this an "actor's movie" though as the complexity of the story dominates the film. Still, no one stinks up the screen and all the characters are believable.
http://content6.flixster.com/rtmovie/67/28/67288_ori.jpg
The special effects are wonderful and propel the film at a breakneck pace, but they somehow manage to not be overwhelming -- which almost seems impossible in retrospect. There is one fight scene about 3/4 of the way through the movie involving Joseph Gordon-Levitt and a nameless attacker that is one of the best directed and executed fight scenes I have ever seen. It was groundbreaking and jaw-dropping, much like some of the action in the first Matrix film. When the scene ended, I found myself breaking into applause -- EVEN THOUGH THE MOVIE WAS STILL GOING!! I heard several other people in the theater clapping too and many murmurs of "wow!" form elsewhere. Needless to say, there was even more applause from the crowd when the film did end ;)
It is worth noting that the effects are woven beautifully into the story. They are not extraneous eye-candy, they are an integral part of what is going on and explaining the worlds we are in.
http://content7.flixster.com/rtmovie/67/23/67237_ori.jpg
I keep on going back to the story, because it is so impressive. At one point, the film is telling something like 4 stories at the same time. In many ways, this film hearkens back to the first film that got Christopher Nolan noticed, Memento, which was so notable for its complexly layered story. Like Memento, this picture is a study of what happens inside the mind. If you enjoyed that film, you will certainly like this one too.
I have rambled long enough. Suffice it to say that Inception is one of the finest science fiction films ever made. It has a long running time, close to 2 1/2 hours, and you may get frustrated at times because of the complexity of the story -- but it is worth it! It is a pity Nolan's films always get released in the summer, because if this was released around Christmas and promoted for an Oscar run, it would be almost a shoe-in for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
Please note-- there are no spoilers in this post and I would discourage them in this thread... I'll start a separate thread for discussion of the film among folks who have already seen it and can tolerate spoilers.
--Jason "What a truly remarkable film. A must see, in my opinion" Evans