: Inception
Author: Christopher Nolan
Director: Christopher Nolan
Wow. Greatest mind-trip ever. Makes a Charlie Kaufman movie seem normal. I went in with the highest expectations and I can comfortably say those were more than met. I was leery about the two-and-a-half hour run time but I never even noticed the passage of time. It felt like minutes. (Which is interesting, since that’s a key concept in the film.) The plot is too difficult to describe and it shouldn’t be anyway, both since the film does it so well and it’s a much more interesting journey not having it spoiled. Let’s just say it’s an incredibly convoluted story about dreams within dreams within dreams, where the difference between reality and dreams blend. But unlike so many films that introduce complications just to confuse the viewer and make the story seem deeper, here, though things are amazingly complex, it’s handled to deftly that everything makes remarkable sense. Only at the very beginning was I confused, but it wasn’t the kind of confusion that irritates. In many films information is deliberately withheld to keep the viewer in the dark and that’s frustrating and tedious. Here the things we don’t know are part of the plot. That beginning that seemed too convoluted, soon makes sense, and by the end of the film makes complete sense. This film feels like it should be more confusing than it is. I’ve seen many movies with much simpler stories that felt far more confusing. In fact, the plot seems almost simple the way it’s dished out! But it’s not at all simple: it’s a powerful and intricate story, a story about love and loss and longing. The film has everything: action, fantastic scenery, drama, heartbreak, tension, wonderful characters and acting, surprise twists, and powerful emotions. What’s amazing about the special effects is that despite being startling visuals, they feel like backdrop they are so seamless. In one sequence I realized I’d been watching for several minutes before I realized that everyone was floating (it was a world without gravity) and the technical difficulty of such visuals hit me. It had just seemed so natural and normal! The same with the excellent performances of the cast, who ground everything and keep our reality in check. I loved this movie. Highly recommend if you have a brain and like trippy rides. You won’t be disappointed.
Topic: [/movie] |
