Good fun and a great concept
THE PLOT
A collection of corporate espionage types, using military tech to enter dreams and steal secrets, are coerced into planting an idea in the skull of Cillian Murphy’s ‘mark’. This is Inception. Simple enough? Not really.
To make it stick, ensuring the mark believes the idea to be entirely his own, they have to go deeper than their usual head-heist; much deeper. The complexity and smart narrative starts here and comes about when our ‘heroes’ enter a dream within a dream, within a dream! You following so far?
The action stems from the ‘projections’ of people populating the dreamer’s nap-time reality. If the dreamer becomes aware there are trespassers in their subconscious the projections act like white blood cells attacking an infection. And action!
THE REVIEW
This was the first film in months that I was actually looking forward to seeing, and I wasn't wowed. I wasn’t expecting to be wowed, I don’t think, but it wasn’t what I had hoped, if that makes sense.
It goes like this:
Would I watch it again?
Yes, happily
Would I pay to see it again at the cinema?
Actually, I’ve been contemplating doing just that.
Would I buy it on DVD? (No blue ray comments please!)
Definitely
Was the acting good?
Yes. Couldn’t fault it really
Was the concept good?
Great, actually. Original, thought provoking and set the scene for some great set pieces
Were the set pieces good?
All were good, but this is where we get down to it…
The set pieces were as well edited, choreographed and directed as you could hope and expect from the director of the brilliant Dark Knight, but were wholly lacking in originality, with one possible exception (zero gravity).
It must be hard to be original in Hollywood these days (just look at the multitude of TV and movie remakes, not to mention the sequels) but when you have a director that brought out the inspired Oscar winning performance of Heath Ledger’s Joker, in the wake of Nicholson’s already acclaimed performance in the same role, how is it that Inception, unique and wonderful concept aside, still managed to feel familiar and almost formulaic?
THE VERDICT
A great twist on the standard heist movie, combined with top class acting and some fantastic action sequences make for a worthy summer blockbuster. But all said and done, a palladium effort, not quite a platinum one. Be sure to take an extra brain as your current one may overload!
To make it stick, ensuring the mark believes the idea to be entirely his own, they have to go deeper than their usual head-heist; much deeper. The complexity and smart narrative starts here and comes about when our ‘heroes’ enter a dream within a dream, within a dream! You following so far?
The action stems from the ‘projections’ of people populating the dreamer’s nap-time reality. If the dreamer becomes aware there are trespassers in their subconscious the projections act like white blood cells attacking an infection. And action!
THE REVIEW
This was the first film in months that I was actually looking forward to seeing, and I wasn't wowed. I wasn’t expecting to be wowed, I don’t think, but it wasn’t what I had hoped, if that makes sense.
It goes like this:
Would I watch it again?
Yes, happily
Would I pay to see it again at the cinema?
Actually, I’ve been contemplating doing just that.
Would I buy it on DVD? (No blue ray comments please!)
Definitely
Was the acting good?
Yes. Couldn’t fault it really
Was the concept good?
Great, actually. Original, thought provoking and set the scene for some great set pieces
Were the set pieces good?
All were good, but this is where we get down to it…
The set pieces were as well edited, choreographed and directed as you could hope and expect from the director of the brilliant Dark Knight, but were wholly lacking in originality, with one possible exception (zero gravity).
It must be hard to be original in Hollywood these days (just look at the multitude of TV and movie remakes, not to mention the sequels) but when you have a director that brought out the inspired Oscar winning performance of Heath Ledger’s Joker, in the wake of Nicholson’s already acclaimed performance in the same role, how is it that Inception, unique and wonderful concept aside, still managed to feel familiar and almost formulaic?
THE VERDICT
A great twist on the standard heist movie, combined with top class acting and some fantastic action sequences make for a worthy summer blockbuster. But all said and done, a palladium effort, not quite a platinum one. Be sure to take an extra brain as your current one may overload!
TC
UK Release Date: 16 July 2010
AWARDS
Golden Globe Nominee - Best Motion Picture - Drama
Golden Globe Nominee - Best Director - Motion Picture: Christopher Nolan
Golden Globe Nominee - Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: Christopher Nolan
Golden Globe Nominee - Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Hans Zimmer
BAFTA Winner - Production Design: Inception: Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
BAFTA Winner - Sound: Inception: Richard King, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A Rizzo, Ed Novick
BAFTA Winner - Special Visual Effects: Inception: Chris Corbould, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Peter Bebb
BAFTA Nominee - Best Film: Inception
BAFTA Nominee - Director: Christopher Nolan for Inception
BAFTA Nominee - Original Screenplay: Inception: Christopher Nolan
BAFTA Nominee - Original Music: Inception: Hans Zimmer
BAFTA Nominee - Cinematography: Inception: Wally Pfister
BAFTA Nominee - Editing: Inception: Lee Smith
Academy Award Winner - Cinematography: Wally Pfister
Academy Award Winner - Sound Editing: Richard King
Academy Award Winner - Sound Mixing: Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
Academy Award Winner - Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Academy Award Nominee - Best Picture: Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
Academy Award Nominee - Art Direction: Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
Academy Award Nominee - Music (Original Score): Hans Zimmer
Academy Award Nominee - Writing (Original Screenplay): Written by Christopher Nolan
I hope Leo DC dies in this movie.
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