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Inception
After decades of watching thousands of movies I admit was beginning to get more than a little jaded at what passes for films today. Thrillers lack any sigh of thrills while there is no mystery and little drama contained respectively in those genres. Formulas have taken over the creation of films to the point that originality has been supplanted by cookie cutter film making. Thankfully there are some writers and directors plying their crafts that refuse to join the massive herd of mediocrity. It is not atypical to find an auteur willing to experiment within the safer confines of independent film but to see someone bold enough to enter strange waters on a studio sixes budget is noteworthy on its own accord. Fortunately one such film maker is more than up to the challenge; Christopher Nolan. He constantly surprises both fans and critics with his ability to refresh even the most stagnant film genre turning it into something fresh and exciting. Because of this it is a bit difficult to place the movie ‘Inception’ into a preconceived notion of what a film should be or what category or genre applies. This film is truly unique something that stands out like a bright star on a dark night. ‘Inception’ is definitely not light entertainment or something that you can watch in the background slipping your time with another task. This story demands your full attention. It requires proactive thought on the part of the audience putting some effort into understanding what is unfolding in front of you. This is not to say that the movie is a chore to watch; it most certainly is not work on your part. It highlights the difference between passive entertainment and something that will actively transport you out of your everyday mode of thinking to a place of dark wonder and sinister imagination. This film takes on one of the primary purposes of science fiction; to stretch our imagination taking us places that seem impossible to even conjecture. At the same time as the story provides incredible entertainment it also serves to hold our society up to a scrutiny that reveals aspects of our society in a fashion off the beaten track of thought. I have been a fan of Christopher Nolan practically from his first feature length movie. The thing that is special about his films is the inherent unpredictability of his work. From his film ‘Memento’ where the main character could not form new memories and the story played out in reverse order. He followed that up with the strange but brilliantly cast and staged ‘Insomnia’. This built a reputation for Nolan as a risk taker and innovative film maker. Still, before a studio will ante up a sizable budget a film maker must be proven in the all important measure of the box office. This was more than proven with his reboot of the previously ruined Batman franchise with ‘Batman Begins’ the incredibly successful intense view of the character in ‘The Dark Knight’. This demonstrated to the audience that Nolan was able to strike a balance between experimenting within his craft and putting paying people into the theater seats. ‘Inception managed garner critical acclaim brining in almost twice its $160 million budget, making it second only to ‘Dark Knight’ for a film by this talented film maker. This cinematic masterpiece was written and directed by Nolan; this is not an uncommon combination of functionality in film but in this instance it is best for Nolan to bring the ideas and concepts from his script to life as the story’s director. His genius lies in his ability to take the mundane portions of reality we all take for granted and twist them into something dark, strange and altogether wonderful. As usual Nolan probes the recesses of our minds. In ‘Memento’ he took apart the most defining aspect of our humanity, our memories. With ‘Inception’ another humanistic common experience is subject to his special attention; our dreams. We all dream and do so for most of our lives, in this world Nolan has manufactured dreams are not the ultimate private sanctuary; they are subject to invasion from sinister external forces. Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), with his partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) engages in an extremely covert and potentially dangerous form of corporate espionage, invading the dreams of their subject in order to extract vital information. In the opening the subject at hand is a notable Japanese mogul, Saito (Ken Watanabe). Unfortunately the invader’s own mind can interfere which happens here. Cobb’s late wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard) is still very much alive in his memories frequently interfering with the success of his missions. For the person entering the dreams the can experience pain but if the die while inside they awaken in the world. One psychological danger inherent in this line of work is determining whether you are in a dream or reality. To this purpose Cobb has a keepsake from his wife, a toy top. Whether it spins or falls indicates Cobb’s current reality. It turns out that Saito is working on a more insidious use of dream technology, inception, where an individual can plant a thought in the unsuspecting, sleeping target. After a bought of blackmail Cobb reluctantly agrees to join. The first mission is Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy, the son of Saito’s terminally ill corporate adversary, Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlethwaite). The idea to be implanted is for the son to dismantle his father’s financial empire making it ripe for takeover by Saito. Upping the stakes circumstances are changed so that if you die in the dream world you remain in limbo for the rest of your life. This is just one of the most intelligently crafted films I have seen in a very long time. just because it requires think don’t shy away from this movie. it is an action packed mélange of intrigue, subterfuge and imagination liker noting you have ever seen before. The Blu-ray release is perfect for a visual treat such as this where the sound track is something that pulls you into another dimension. Extraction Mode - Infiltrate The Movie's Imaginative Landscape To Learn How
Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio And The Cast And Crew Designed And Achieved
The Film's Signature Moments Posted 11/24/2010 |
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