Inception Review
Wednesday, July 28. 2010
Despite rumors to the contrary, Inception is not a terribly confusing movie. It is, however, a terribly intricate movie, and requires the audience to pay attention more than usual. But if you're willing to put in the time, you will be rewarded with some of the best performances in one of the smartest movies to hit theaters in quite a while. (WARNING: MILD SPOILERS)
There are certain Christoper Nolan trademarks on display here, such as the root theme. In many of his movies, the overall conflict can be summed up in a one-word concept. For example, the theme of Batman Begins was "fear," while the theme of its sequel was "duality." For Inception, that theme could be "mind" (as in "a dimension not only of sight and sound but of--"). The movie explores concepts such as how ideas exist, how our subconscious works, the nature of dreams, and the danger of emotion. We also see some of Nolan's more concrete trademarks: sweeping cityscapes, globe-trotting adventures, and - perhaps most important - a cast of all-star actors at the tops of their games.
Front and center is Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb) who has shown himself to be a solid actor time and again, especially when he is creating emotionally charged characters. Ellen Page (Ariadne) does a remarkable job as well, making us believe her character really is that gifted - so when she comes up with the ultimate solution during the movie's climax, it doesn't feel forced as it so often does in other movies. The rest of the team - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Tom Hardy (Eames), and Dileep Rao (Yusuf) - is likewise excellent, and Nolan is able to make a relatively large ensemble feel like a well-oiled machine. Even Ken Watanabe (Saito) is used well despite being the "tourist" during the mission, and Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine play their respective supporting roles beautifully.
One of my favorite parts about Inception is that nothing is really explained: Ariadne gets a briefing when she is introduced to the team, but all other plot development is done through what feels like very natural dialog. The ending is also ambiguous enough to feel right, rather than feeling like a cheat.
It's definitely worth seeing, and is worth seeing on the big screen where you can appreciate Nolan's cinematography. Just be sure to get your snacks and use the rest room ahead of time: you won't want to miss any of it.
Collector/Modeler Interest:
Pretty light. The only vehicles that were really used were a taxi, a Hyundai, a Ford van, and a tracked Hummer H1. The last of these could be made by customizing any of the H1s on the market, and the taxi could be made from the CMW diecast, but the other two would require a whole lot of scratchbuilding.
There are certain Christoper Nolan trademarks on display here, such as the root theme. In many of his movies, the overall conflict can be summed up in a one-word concept. For example, the theme of Batman Begins was "fear," while the theme of its sequel was "duality." For Inception, that theme could be "mind" (as in "a dimension not only of sight and sound but of--"). The movie explores concepts such as how ideas exist, how our subconscious works, the nature of dreams, and the danger of emotion. We also see some of Nolan's more concrete trademarks: sweeping cityscapes, globe-trotting adventures, and - perhaps most important - a cast of all-star actors at the tops of their games.
Front and center is Leonardo DiCaprio (Cobb) who has shown himself to be a solid actor time and again, especially when he is creating emotionally charged characters. Ellen Page (Ariadne) does a remarkable job as well, making us believe her character really is that gifted - so when she comes up with the ultimate solution during the movie's climax, it doesn't feel forced as it so often does in other movies. The rest of the team - Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Tom Hardy (Eames), and Dileep Rao (Yusuf) - is likewise excellent, and Nolan is able to make a relatively large ensemble feel like a well-oiled machine. Even Ken Watanabe (Saito) is used well despite being the "tourist" during the mission, and Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine play their respective supporting roles beautifully.
One of my favorite parts about Inception is that nothing is really explained: Ariadne gets a briefing when she is introduced to the team, but all other plot development is done through what feels like very natural dialog. The ending is also ambiguous enough to feel right, rather than feeling like a cheat.
It's definitely worth seeing, and is worth seeing on the big screen where you can appreciate Nolan's cinematography. Just be sure to get your snacks and use the rest room ahead of time: you won't want to miss any of it.
Collector/Modeler Interest:
Pretty light. The only vehicles that were really used were a taxi, a Hyundai, a Ford van, and a tracked Hummer H1. The last of these could be made by customizing any of the H1s on the market, and the taxi could be made from the CMW diecast, but the other two would require a whole lot of scratchbuilding.
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