I have been so sucky with this blog this summer. Apologies.
InceptionBut on a more serious note, if you haven't seen
Inception, the greatest film of the summer, probably the year and one of the most important cinematic experiences of my life, then DO NOT read on. I refuse to spoil this movie for anyone who hasn't seen it. But seriously, if you haven't seen it, get your butt to a movie theater immediately. How could you have waited so long?
The film is an absolute masterpiece. An original storyline (though I think Chris Nolan might've been inspired by
Roswell), a flawless cast, mind blowing special effects, powerful music,
Inception has saved 2010 from being one of the weakest movie years.
First off, this GQ cast. Hottest cast since
Star Trek, hands down. Everyone is beautiful in their unique ways, even Ellen Page. Looks aside, this cast is incredibly talented and all turn in exceptional performances. This is one of Leonardo DiCaprio's finest roles. His character, an extractor named Dom, comes with heavy emotional baggage and DiCaprio handles it perfectly. He's great at playing a broken man, his eyes say it all. Though Dom is the main character and DiCaprio gives an Oscar worthy performance, I don't know if he'll get his much deserved statue for this, because though Dom is the main character,
Inception cannot function without all the other characters. This is truly masterful ensemble work.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is charming (as usual) but is definitely not the same Joseph Gordon-Levitt we've seen before. He is charming but he has a suave and debonairness to him. Furthermore, he executes his action scenes perfectly, like he'd been doing him since birth. Inception could definitely catapult him to the A-List, though he's been on my A-List for years. Ellen Page ALMOST made me forget she was
Juno, so that says a lot. I loved her character and Page held her own in her company.
Marion Cotillard is heartbreakingly beautiful and that look was necessary for her character, Mal. She was well cast in her role.
She took on a huge weight with the role, because she was one of (if not the most) important characters. Cotillard's talents were put to good use, I could see her getting nominated for an Oscar for this. Anyone who thought her character was annoying just didn't get it.
I could go on and on about the other actors but then I'd be writing all day. To sum it up, Ken Watanabe was superb and Hollywood needs to put him in more films. Cillian Murphy gave an excellent spin on a fairly stereotypical role. Michael Caine was barely in
Inception, but his few moments on screen were enjoyable as usual. Newcomer Tom Hardy has left a strong impact on audiences and Hollywood. I wouldn't be surprised if he exploded in the next couple years. He brought a necessary light and humor to a very heavy film.
On to the special effects. Mind bending, mind blowing, inspiring, unlike anything I've seen before. But these aren't your Michael Bay special effects. Not only are these awe inspiring but they add to the story.
Inception and its concept cannot exist without these special effects. Bending cities, gravity-less fights, epic chase sequences in houses, the streets, and snow, I don't have the adequate words to write how great they are. Joseph Gordon-Levitt's gravity-less fight scene two levels down was just incredible. How they filmed it, I don't care to know, I'd rather just live in the dream. Definitely one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen.
Hans Zimmer composed an impeccable soundtrack, which I'm listening to as I write. Heartbreaking songs but also pieces that get your blood pumping, each song fits right in with its scene, especially "Time," the last song. Zimmer apparently designed the film's distinct noise, and most of the soundtrack, around "Non Je Ne Regrette Rein," the Edith Piaf song (the woman Marion Cotillard got her Oscar for playing) that's used as the musical cue. This soundtrack is essential to any serious movie goer's collection.
The costumes are note-perfect. Great tailoring, beautiful to look at, and each piece fitting their character's personality.
Finally, the story. The story and all its complexities. Seeing
Inception twice already has definitely helped me understand everything better. There is just so much going on both in front of you and themes of guilt, metaphors, etc. All the dreams within a dream, the different levels and time, limbo, totems, each character's role, I can't imagine what studio execs and the actors thought the first time they read it. And the ending...my God the ending. I believe that Dom is still in limbo, he never made it out. But it doesn't matter. His character made an incredible transformation. At the beginning, he was obsessed with always knowing what was reality and what was a dream but after eve
rything he's gone through in the film, he throws in the towel; what makes him happy is what's real. And whether that's being awake or being asleep, it doesn't matter. This is a character who was very broken, ready to shoot himself in the head if he wasn't in reality and he did a complete 180. I do not think the whole film was a dream, with the dream being Dom's way of dealing with his guilt over Mal. While I would not be disappointed and I don't see it as a cop out, I just simply don't believe it. However, if it were all a dream, that would not make the film any less powerful or Dom's catharsis any less meaningful.
Some have written that
Inception is a metaphor for filmmaking, with each character representing an integral part of film. Saito is the money guy, Dom the director, Ariadne (Page) the screenwriter, Fischer the audience, Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) the producer, and Eames (Hardy) the actor. They all work together to create this imaginary world for Fischer as the audience. Dom and the others take Fischer through an exciting and mind blowing journey that leaves him a changed man, much like a director and his team take an audience through a journey in a great film. Furthermore, the notion of playing with dreams makes the dreamer aware that he is in a dream is like how audiences lose focus on a film when there is an implausible or unnecessary scene, they come back to reality. Below are two articles that will help audiences with any confusions they have about Inception and further explain Inception as a metaphor for filmmaking.
Inception ExplainedFilmmakingChris Nolan, you continue to outdo yourself and raise the bar for filmmaking. You are incapable of making a bad movie. Thanks for giving sharing your gift with us and please keep sharing.
I'm glad I saw
Inception twice and I hope to see it again. I will be good every time but nothing will ever be as good as the very first time, when I had no idea what to except and I saw everything unfold in front of me for the first time.
Inception will withstand the test of time and is an instant classic.
George Clooney in Michael ClaytonI'm all about scenery chewing, give me Al Pacino in nearly anything and I'll be satisfied. But I love, love, love a strong and believable performances that's mostly subtly. My mind constantly goes back to George Clooney
as the title role in
Michael Clayton when I think of strong subtly. His last scene alone, as the credits role, is enough for me to write about him. After everything that's happened, he sits in cab and tells the cabbie to just drive. If I hadn't seen one minute of the film and I just saw this last part, I'd know that this character just went through hell. Clooney writes it all over his face; his eyes, cheeks, mouth, his gaze, the placement of his hand. But there are no tears, no words, no noises; it's all coming from within Clooney.
NetflixFive Minutes of Heaven-Irish film with Liam Neeson. Looks promising.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief-Missed this. I love Greek gods.
Pushing Daisies-Netflix Instant. Lee Pace is a fox and I always wanted to watch this short lived comedy.
The Expendables
ost important about The Expendables is its conceit--which is really kind of genius. Screenwriter Stallone is saying, "Let's get all these old and almost old action stars (and athletes) into one movie doing all the things they did when they were younger. Let's throw dictators plus a million and one explosions into the mix. Let's be totally ridiculous and off the wall and dumb for the sake of entertainment." In other words, The Expendables is totally campy and self aware; it knows what it is and embraces it whole heartedly. That awareness makes the movie intentionally and unintentionally hilarious simultaneously. The dramatic lines are just too dramatic to be serious and therefore I laugh. The action scenes are too over the top to be shocking and therefore I laugh. Some of the intentional jokes are really funny--and therefore I laugh.
r in Working Girl
