Rated PG-13
(sequences of violence and action throughout)
2 hours 28 minutes
Storyline:In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a single idea within one's mind can be the most dangerous weapon or the most valuable asset.
Written & Directed by Christopher Nolan
Cast:
Leonardo DiCaprio
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Ellen PageTom Hardy
Ken Watanabe
Cillian Murphy
Marion Cotilard
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Grade:
85%
My Grade:
A+
The movie that I have been waiting to arrive for quite a while now is finally out for the world to see! Arguably Christopher Nolan's masterpiece depending on who is reviewing the movie. Do I think this is his personal masterpiece? On ever technical level and in the realm of originality, yes this is absolutely a masterpiece. Story wise I'm still ranking his 2001 mind bending and brilliant Memento as his screenwriting masterpiece. This however, is not that far behind. I mean this guy is a film making genius. Memento was fresh and needed at least two viewings to sink in. The Prestige brought the world of magic and illusion to a whole new, remarkable level. He managed to take an idea that has been done a ton before in Batman and add some breathtaking darkness and brilliance into the story that made it more than just a "superhero" summer movie with The Dark Knight. And let's not forget his relatively unseen Insomnia that is one of the better crime drama's I've ever seen. This guy is batting a thousand and he shows no signs of deteriorating.
I'm not going to explain the story of this movie here, because it would take me hours and I'm not even fully sure I grasp the whole concept of the film's story just yet. I need to see it one more time to let
it all sink in. But I understood the story, I got the concept enough to know what was going on the whole movie. But no...I will not even bother to attempt to write it here. What you need to know is this movie is about the dream world and the people who are able to access ones dreams and steal ideas from them without the subjects knowledge. Now they have to try the unthinkable and what the impossible: plant an idea in a subjects mind deep in his conscious to bring the end to a powerful company. This idea planting is called inception...and it's not easy to do. This plays out like a crime thriller like you've never seen. The story, as sometimes hard to follow as it is, is incredibly engaging the so unbelievably thrilling. Nolan knows the dream world. It's funny because so many of the things and techniques used in this film by the characters are things you experience in your dreams. The actual dream aspects are not that far fetched...of course other than the fact that these people are entering dreams. A lot of people think the characters were written rather flatly but I totally disagree. We don't need to know the deep backgrounds of all the characters because they are here to a do a job. We get to know the psyce of the main character and boy is he troubled. But that's as much as we needed I think. This is about the heist, not just about the characters. And the heist is brilliant and so well told through this screenplay. This screenplay should and may very well garner Nolan a MUCH deserved Oscar nomination.
You see in the trailers for this film that this is going to be an action packed movie full of dazzling visual effects. They are more than dazzling they are jaw dropping. A lot of the times you see summer action movies that rely on special effects to keep the audience in and a lot of the time the effects serve no other real importance. What we have here is very rare: visual effects that are absolutely necessary to further the story of the film. There isn't a single effects shot that isn't needed. As they happen your eyes pop open in amazement because these aren't things we are used to. Cities folding up on itself...that scene was awesome. These effects balance out the awesome action sequences as well. When these characters are being chased your heart is racing. This is because you actually care about these people and you care about their mission. Such a rare feat in an action movie. The best part is, most of the movie takes place in dreamland so there's no bounds when it comes to what they could do. A freight train barrels through New York city during a shoot out sequence. There is this phenomenal scene where there is a chase through a hallway where people are floating through the hair while fighting that is shot so intensely. When the people are sleeping if they are moving, the world in which they are dreaming also moves creating this outer space like reaction. Ugh, it's just SO cool!! I don't want to say more because I want you to see it to feel the awesomeness of it. Oh and by the way...the people who say this is just like The Matrix can shut the hell up...this is much better.
The cast in this film is top notch, Nolan is a master at finding just the write people to play out his stories. I have no idea how Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Blood Diamond) has not won an Oscar. He has a few nominations under his belt...but my God...can he just win one already!?! Earlier this year he did the brilliant Shutter Island. If I had to pick which performance was better I would say Shutter Island, but he is still amazing in this movie. He plays the tormented soul s
o well. His character here has some deep and dark things buried away and he's so good at reflecting that through his performance. I'm a big fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, 500 Days of Summer) and I think one day he will get the attention he so much deserves. He is good here, but there isn't much that his character has to do that makes his performance powerful in anyway. But he's very good still here, and he's involved in one of the coolest and most thrilling scenes in the whole film.
I was so happy with Oscar nominee Ellen Page (Juno, Smart People). When you see her advertised in this movie you think "Oh God, she's just here to snap off some witty one liners and add nothing else to the story". This is because she has played Juno is every movie she's been in since that film. The smart ass, dark little teenage girl who is overly witty. It worked in Juno...but just stop now. Finally she has a performance where she plays a normal human being that isn't annoying. Like Levitt, her performance is very good...just nothing remarkably notable. Oscar winner Mario Cotillard (La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies) who coincidentally beat Ellen Page for Best Actress a few years back, was very good and very convincing as the troubled dead wife of Leo's character. She pop's up throughout the movie and you are never quite sure what she's really there for until the story progresses towards the end. I liked her a lot, she balanced out Leo quite nicely. The rest of the cast were all very good, not a bad performance in the lot.
This is one of those movies that needs two viewings I think. Much like Memento. I think it would resonate better. But after the first viewing I knew I just watched something that I hadn't seen in a VERY long time: something 100% original. We haven't seen a movie like this before (shut up Matrix people!!). We may never see a movie like this again. This film is complex. This film is visually stunning. This film takes us on a journey that is so thrilling and mind blowing that it will have you telling everyone you know about what you saw. It's captivating. It has everything you could possibly want in an action movie and then some. This isn't JUST an action movie, because it has a purpose. The writing carries the action not the other way around. As of right now, this is my personal front runner for Best Picture of the year. Because when I think Best Picture I think of a movie that blows me away in every category. It's a movie that has me shaking my head in amazement. It has me wanting to tell everyone I know to see it...so see it!!! Inception is a remarkable film. A near flawless film in my eyes. Christopher Nolan is the man to look out for these days. He IS the best director working today...no doubt in my mind. Inception is his masterpiece.
...and by the way...how long do you think it takes for a van to fall off a bridge? Because it took about an hour and half in this movie...hehe. Loved it.
I'm not going to explain the story of this movie here, because it would take me hours and I'm not even fully sure I grasp the whole concept of the film's story just yet. I need to see it one more time to let
it all sink in. But I understood the story, I got the concept enough to know what was going on the whole movie. But no...I will not even bother to attempt to write it here. What you need to know is this movie is about the dream world and the people who are able to access ones dreams and steal ideas from them without the subjects knowledge. Now they have to try the unthinkable and what the impossible: plant an idea in a subjects mind deep in his conscious to bring the end to a powerful company. This idea planting is called inception...and it's not easy to do. This plays out like a crime thriller like you've never seen. The story, as sometimes hard to follow as it is, is incredibly engaging the so unbelievably thrilling. Nolan knows the dream world. It's funny because so many of the things and techniques used in this film by the characters are things you experience in your dreams. The actual dream aspects are not that far fetched...of course other than the fact that these people are entering dreams. A lot of people think the characters were written rather flatly but I totally disagree. We don't need to know the deep backgrounds of all the characters because they are here to a do a job. We get to know the psyce of the main character and boy is he troubled. But that's as much as we needed I think. This is about the heist, not just about the characters. And the heist is brilliant and so well told through this screenplay. This screenplay should and may very well garner Nolan a MUCH deserved Oscar nomination.You see in the trailers for this film that this is going to be an action packed movie full of dazzling visual effects. They are more than dazzling they are jaw dropping. A lot of the times you see summer action movies that rely on special effects to keep the audience in and a lot of the time the effects serve no other real importance. What we have here is very rare: visual effects that are absolutely necessary to further the story of the film. There isn't a single effects shot that isn't needed. As they happen your eyes pop open in amazement because these aren't things we are used to. Cities folding up on itself...that scene was awesome. These effects balance out the awesome action sequences as well. When these characters are being chased your heart is racing. This is because you actually care about these people and you care about their mission. Such a rare feat in an action movie. The best part is, most of the movie takes place in dreamland so there's no bounds when it comes to what they could do. A freight train barrels through New York city during a shoot out sequence. There is this phenomenal scene where there is a chase through a hallway where people are floating through the hair while fighting that is shot so intensely. When the people are sleeping if they are moving, the world in which they are dreaming also moves creating this outer space like reaction. Ugh, it's just SO cool!! I don't want to say more because I want you to see it to feel the awesomeness of it. Oh and by the way...the people who say this is just like The Matrix can shut the hell up...this is much better.
The cast in this film is top notch, Nolan is a master at finding just the write people to play out his stories. I have no idea how Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Blood Diamond) has not won an Oscar. He has a few nominations under his belt...but my God...can he just win one already!?! Earlier this year he did the brilliant Shutter Island. If I had to pick which performance was better I would say Shutter Island, but he is still amazing in this movie. He plays the tormented soul s
o well. His character here has some deep and dark things buried away and he's so good at reflecting that through his performance. I'm a big fan of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, 500 Days of Summer) and I think one day he will get the attention he so much deserves. He is good here, but there isn't much that his character has to do that makes his performance powerful in anyway. But he's very good still here, and he's involved in one of the coolest and most thrilling scenes in the whole film.I was so happy with Oscar nominee Ellen Page (Juno, Smart People). When you see her advertised in this movie you think "Oh God, she's just here to snap off some witty one liners and add nothing else to the story". This is because she has played Juno is every movie she's been in since that film. The smart ass, dark little teenage girl who is overly witty. It worked in Juno...but just stop now. Finally she has a performance where she plays a normal human being that isn't annoying. Like Levitt, her performance is very good...just nothing remarkably notable. Oscar winner Mario Cotillard (La Vie En Rose, Public Enemies) who coincidentally beat Ellen Page for Best Actress a few years back, was very good and very convincing as the troubled dead wife of Leo's character. She pop's up throughout the movie and you are never quite sure what she's really there for until the story progresses towards the end. I liked her a lot, she balanced out Leo quite nicely. The rest of the cast were all very good, not a bad performance in the lot.
This is one of those movies that needs two viewings I think. Much like Memento. I think it would resonate better. But after the first viewing I knew I just watched something that I hadn't seen in a VERY long time: something 100% original. We haven't seen a movie like this before (shut up Matrix people!!). We may never see a movie like this again. This film is complex. This film is visually stunning. This film takes us on a journey that is so thrilling and mind blowing that it will have you telling everyone you know about what you saw. It's captivating. It has everything you could possibly want in an action movie and then some. This isn't JUST an action movie, because it has a purpose. The writing carries the action not the other way around. As of right now, this is my personal front runner for Best Picture of the year. Because when I think Best Picture I think of a movie that blows me away in every category. It's a movie that has me shaking my head in amazement. It has me wanting to tell everyone I know to see it...so see it!!! Inception is a remarkable film. A near flawless film in my eyes. Christopher Nolan is the man to look out for these days. He IS the best director working today...no doubt in my mind. Inception is his masterpiece.
...and by the way...how long do you think it takes for a van to fall off a bridge? Because it took about an hour and half in this movie...hehe. Loved it.
Excellent review Mike. I definitely want to see this movie in the theater. Maybe I can get Katie to go with me.
ReplyDeletei agree I definitely have to see it again.
ReplyDeleteMike, I'm so glad you reviewed this. I'm dying to see this movie and you just confirmed that it's totally worth braving a theater full of stupid people who might talk on their cell phones just to see it on the big screen.
ReplyDeleteOh this is a must see movie in my opinion. And a must see movie in the theaters!! Ugh, I just loved it!
ReplyDelete