Inception
Inception is one of the few movies to which I assigned a media blackout. After viewing this teaser a year ago, I saw everything I needed to see. I didn’t read or watch anything from that point on. Fortunately, my embargo was well worth the effort.
(There are intentionally zero major spoilers to come, but if you, like me, want to avoid all information about Inception before seeing it, don’t read any further.)
Director Christopher Nolan is most well-known for his revival of the Batman franchise with Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. But his other films—Memento, The Prestige, Following, and now, Inception—remind us that his forte is still psychological thrillers.
Inception is a mental workout, but its core so basic that it is never hard to follow. Nolan is a master of disguising a simple plot with an imaginative display. I love the way he is able to strip the film’s mechanics down to a minimum, then build the story around them. Everything was tight and crisp, with nearly every scene contributing something of significance.
Inception is a captivating and simultaneously mind-blowing film. The twists and turns of the story are enhanced by the spectacular visuals. My jaw was left gaping at several moments so inventive, words would not do them justice. We will be lucky to see a movie half as creative as Inception in the next decade.
With a compelling storyline, breathtaking presentation, and brilliant action sequences, it may seem like Inception did nothing wrong. But, there were a few missteps even if none brought down the movie in the slightest. The first third of the film rushed by at breakneck speed. I understand that at nearly two and a half hours they were crunched for time, but it might have been worth another fifteen minutes to let that section breathe. It was also a bit odd because I thought the rest of the movie was cut to perfection.
Another problem area was a brief piece of action that I will refer to as “the snow scene.” It was somewhat confusing, even though on the other side of it the story picked right back up. There was only one developed character, but his depth was so astounding that one felt like enough. But these are minor complaints in what was overall a wonderful movie.
It doesn’t matter what else releases in the next five months, Inception is the best movie of 2010. The originality, the effects, the story, the details—every part of the movie combined to create a phenomenal experience. By the time the last frame hits, I hope most people will have enjoyed it as much as I did.
9.5/10
5 Comments
my thoughts exactly…and yes I still come to your website lol
I purposefully waited until I saw inception to read this. It was really sweet for sure. My mind is still processing it.
Good Evening Film Enthusiasts, I want to comment on the film, but first I must point out a grammatical error on your part. In the 4th paragraph you write “but it’s core so basic…”, when it should read “but it’s core IS so basic…”. But anyways, now about the film!!! What you did with this movie, I try to do with every film I want to see; I withhold from watching trailers for movies I anticipate in going to see, and with doing so I have expanded my own personal movie experience. The best experiences I have, are movies I know little or nothing about. Inception is no exception. After that first amazing teaser trailer, I withheld from any advertisements or articles within the film community and I am so grateful that I did. This movie is amazing. Too make a long story short (because I could write about this film for hours), Christopher Nolan showed once again why, even though Paul Thomas Anderson is our generations Kubrick, Nolan is our generations Spielberg…perfectly blending action sequences with character development and tension. Nolan is so far ahead of the curve, it is actually hard and a disservice to compare him to any director from the past. It is as if the biggest film fanatic somewhere had taken the best parts of Scorsese, Spielberg, Coppola, Polanski, Leone and Kurosawa and created Nolan. With Inception Nolan crafted an amazing piece of art. The cinematography, the mise-en-scene, the editing, the direction, the acting, the costumes, and the script were all top-notch and together combined for a one-of-a-kind movie experience. My personal favorite aspect of Inception however was neither; it is the musical score. Everything, from perfectly choosing which songs to combat the action (“the snow scene” as you call it), to the slowed down trombones of the opening sequence which became the movie’s main musical motif (those horns are actually the beginning of the Edith Piaf song “Rien de rien” that is played through-out the movie slowed down). The score sets the viewers in motion for accepting the fact that they are about to embark on what will be the most intense film all summer. All-in-all Inception is a phenomenal movie experience, for every type of viewer; and with Dark Knight, will go down as the trend-setting films for decades to come. Inception is and will always be a cinematic marvel!!!
Sincerely William “Beebs” Tenenbaum Film Producer/Editor B.A. Film Studies from University of Pittsburgh
@Josh: Glad you are still visiting! I hope to update more regularly.
@airxxi: Mine is even today still processing it.
@Beebs: Thanks for the response! I agree with you that the score was incredible, and the movie really appeals to nearly all viewers.
I cannot let this slide, Beebs said, “Too make a long story short”, when it should be “to”.
Comments are closed.