I saw Christopher Nolan's new film Inception last night. This is a film that will definitely take multiple viewings to fully appreciate but I want to give my initial reactions to the film.
To get to the point straight away, I thought the film was amazing. It grabs you by the throat (and by the brain) from the first minute and never lets go. I think there were a few points where I even stopped breathing it was so tense and exciting. Make no doubt about it, this may be an incredibly complex film, but it is also immensely entertaining.
There are two things that really stand out about this film. The first is how brilliant the concept is, the second is how brilliant the execution is. First to the concept.
There's really no way to explain the plot so I won't even try. Roger Ebert is right in saying that even if you know the ending to the film it wouldn't matter, as it's how the film gets there that really makes everything work. And oh boy does it work. When I heard it apparently took Nolan 10 years to write the script for this film I thought to myself "goodness, he is a slow writer". After seeing how complicated the film is, I don't think that anymore.
But one of the great things about the film is that even though it's complicated and you will undoubtedly feel like your brain got a work out, it's laid out in a simple enough way that you can grasp it. In essence it's just simple enough for you to realize how brilliant it is, but not simple enough for you to completely understand, especially with just one viewing.
The other thing that stands out is how well made this film is. The cinematography and effects are stunning. It features some of the most breathtaking slow motion sequences i've ever seen on film. The score by Hans Zimmer is haunting and effective.
Another thing that really has an impact is the fact that Nolan used as much real footage as he could and as little CGI. It would have been very tempting to do most of the crazy effects in post, but instead Nolan decided to do crazy things such as build a set that could rotate 360 degrees on an axis and build a city set that could turn over. Obviously there is some CGI in the film, but the use of as much real footage as possible gives it a very realistic feel, which in turn makes the film much more effective in blurring the lines between dream and reality.
I applaud Nolan not only for this but for not making this film in 3D despite, i'm sure, immense pressure from Hollywood. I won't hide the fact that I think 3D is a gimmick and is bad for film, and it makes me so happy that there are still big budget directors out there who haven't sold out. In a way this film can be seen as an anti-Hollywood movie. It's very complex, smart, and does not give into the popular trends of today. But I digress...
As for the rest of the movie, well it was all good too. All of the actors did a fantastic job but I was especially impressed by DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The characters were very interesting and different, despite one review I read that said by the end of the film you won't know who anyone is. Speaking of disagreeing with critics, I also read a review that said the film had no heart. I couldn't disagree more. I think Cobb (DiCaprio's character) brought a lot of emotion into the movie and there were even a few moments worthy of tearing up a bit. Sure it could have been more emotional, but at it's core this is an action/espionage film and I myself am glad Nolan didn't lay the emotion on too thick.
The only real gripe I have about the film is that Michael Caine did not have a big enough role. Obviously his mere presence instantly made the film cooler, but I wish he had been in more than just a few minutes.
On the whole I cannot recommend this film enough. It's smart (probably even a bit too smart), action filled, and gorgeous. Go see it right now, and take your friends.
To get to the point straight away, I thought the film was amazing. It grabs you by the throat (and by the brain) from the first minute and never lets go. I think there were a few points where I even stopped breathing it was so tense and exciting. Make no doubt about it, this may be an incredibly complex film, but it is also immensely entertaining.
There are two things that really stand out about this film. The first is how brilliant the concept is, the second is how brilliant the execution is. First to the concept.
There's really no way to explain the plot so I won't even try. Roger Ebert is right in saying that even if you know the ending to the film it wouldn't matter, as it's how the film gets there that really makes everything work. And oh boy does it work. When I heard it apparently took Nolan 10 years to write the script for this film I thought to myself "goodness, he is a slow writer". After seeing how complicated the film is, I don't think that anymore.
But one of the great things about the film is that even though it's complicated and you will undoubtedly feel like your brain got a work out, it's laid out in a simple enough way that you can grasp it. In essence it's just simple enough for you to realize how brilliant it is, but not simple enough for you to completely understand, especially with just one viewing.
The other thing that stands out is how well made this film is. The cinematography and effects are stunning. It features some of the most breathtaking slow motion sequences i've ever seen on film. The score by Hans Zimmer is haunting and effective.
Another thing that really has an impact is the fact that Nolan used as much real footage as he could and as little CGI. It would have been very tempting to do most of the crazy effects in post, but instead Nolan decided to do crazy things such as build a set that could rotate 360 degrees on an axis and build a city set that could turn over. Obviously there is some CGI in the film, but the use of as much real footage as possible gives it a very realistic feel, which in turn makes the film much more effective in blurring the lines between dream and reality.
I applaud Nolan not only for this but for not making this film in 3D despite, i'm sure, immense pressure from Hollywood. I won't hide the fact that I think 3D is a gimmick and is bad for film, and it makes me so happy that there are still big budget directors out there who haven't sold out. In a way this film can be seen as an anti-Hollywood movie. It's very complex, smart, and does not give into the popular trends of today. But I digress...
As for the rest of the movie, well it was all good too. All of the actors did a fantastic job but I was especially impressed by DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The characters were very interesting and different, despite one review I read that said by the end of the film you won't know who anyone is. Speaking of disagreeing with critics, I also read a review that said the film had no heart. I couldn't disagree more. I think Cobb (DiCaprio's character) brought a lot of emotion into the movie and there were even a few moments worthy of tearing up a bit. Sure it could have been more emotional, but at it's core this is an action/espionage film and I myself am glad Nolan didn't lay the emotion on too thick.
The only real gripe I have about the film is that Michael Caine did not have a big enough role. Obviously his mere presence instantly made the film cooler, but I wish he had been in more than just a few minutes.
On the whole I cannot recommend this film enough. It's smart (probably even a bit too smart), action filled, and gorgeous. Go see it right now, and take your friends.
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