I walked into the theater with high expectations. I wanted to love it! I wanted to cherish it! I wanted my dreams to emulate everything Inception was discovering in high-tech cinema. However, sometimes when you go into a theater with the highest expectations, you might just be, a little let down. Christopher Nolan's 160 million dollar art film is an extravagant, mind-bending thriller, which creates an original universe of cinema. Sure, the logic and landscapes of dreams have been painted by such gifted filmmakers as David Lynch, Wes Craven, Roman Polanski, and Brain De Palma, but Christopher Nolan is striving to break new grounds.
Inception is one of those films, which sinks into your mind twenty minutes after leaving the theater. While I was experiencing the two-and-half-hour dreamscape opus, I was squirming in my seat. Maybe I was so captured by the visual elements, I couldn't keep up with the meandering plot. Despite the wonderful performances by Joseph Gordon Levitt, Michael Caine, Cilian Murphy, and Ellen Page, I found the supporting characters to be very lackluster. In addition, I thought the story could have unfolded in a much quicker pace. I loved the concept of stealing someone else's dreams, planting ideas into their heads, and creating a subconscious world like an architect constructing a building.
The visual imagery of Inception include trains shooting through the middle of a street, skylines folding over, and separate dimensions seeping into one another. However, with a plot so loopy as Inception, I didn't quite feel like I was in the best of hands. Inception reminded me of David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. (2001), which purposely didn't make any sense, but fulfilled the mythical and erotically-charged world of what a dream feels like. Mulholland Dr. strives where I believe Inception fails; emotional investment in the characters. I believe the dramatic arch has to be the filmmaker's number one priority. As much as I admired the visual attention, Christopher Nolan's acute direction, and Leonardo DiCaprio's complex character, Inception had me a little exhausted by the end credits. I still recommend seeing this wonder of a film and perhaps, it's worth a second viewing on my behalf. But I must argue; Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) and Memento (2000) are more of a masterpiece than the ambitious, yet slightly tedious, Inception.
*** stars (out of four)
I liked the movie alot. I liked both Ellen page's performance and how her character helped to reveal more about DeCaprio's character. I enjoyed the challenge of following the plot.....
ReplyDeleteMemento was uniquely creative and challenging, and Guy Pierce's character was compelling. I haven't seen Inception yet, but I am assuming it is more or less a remake of Dreamscape (1984).
ReplyDeleteYour review also made me think of a different movie that was also quite surrealistic but used the topic of dreams to drive the story in a very different way, Jacobs Ladder (1990).
After reading your review, when I see the movie, I'll look for interesting visuals and story, and not expect so much out of the characters.
I looked up Dreamscape on Leonard Maltin Movies Guide and he gave it three stars. Judging by the description, Dreamscape sounds very similar to Inception. It's been a long time sincce I've seen Jacob's Ladder. I don't remember it, but I do remember it was based on a Stephen King story. Another film, which demonstrates the consciousness of dreams is Richard Linklater's Waking Life (2002). The film combined live action with animation, which expresses the tightrope we walk on, seperating our waking life from our dreamlife. The trippy visuals sharply contrast with the mundane plot, but the whole film brings a philosophical light to our dream universe. Check it out.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree with you about "Inception." I wanted to like it so much, but Nolan's vision was almost mechanical with all its rules. Compared to other dream movies, it feels rather restrained (and not in a good way). I can't really tell you why, but I just couldn't make myself care about the characters. Ellen Page wasn't as bad as she normally is, but her character served nothing more as a receptacle for DiCaprio's seemingly endless expository dialogue in which he explains the convoluted plot. I'd still give it 3 stars, though. Much better than most big budget movies.
ReplyDeleteWeirdly enough, I think "The Cell" is my favorite movie that attempts to make visualize the sub-conscious. Even Jennifer Lopez's acting can't take away from the stunning visual world.
I'm glad you reminded me of "The Cell" because that particular film broke new grounds in art directions and visual imagery. It's been a while since I've seen it and I'm glad you reminded me of that film. Jennifer Lopez used to be a wonderful actress who chose somewhat daring roles like in "U-Turn," "Blood and Wine," and "Out of Sight." Now, she's sold sold out for the fun and family. Kind of like Gwenyth Paltrow. She went from playing a hustler/prostitute in "Hard Eight," to well, anything her mother would approve of.
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