I met BamaDan right after work for some Scene Lounge sushi, a Straight to Ale Monkeynaut IPA or two, and Inception.
It was hard to find a good review of the last movie I reviewed, and it’s hard to find a bad one of this one. Inception is very well regarded indeed.
It’s a fine film. As Roger Ebert noted, it’s very hard to deliver a spoiler, even accidentally. The plot develops as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Cobb navigates layered dreams, exploring the relationships between them and causing the viewer to question everything s/he sees. Close attention is encouraged.
The production is lush and full of interesting detail. (I loved all of the wristwatch attention!) The previews made me expect more special effects than the film ultimately delivered, and I think they were correctly scoped and executed. It would have been easy to jump on a runaway CGI train here, and the restraint in not doing so is commendable.
I have a standout performance from Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island) in recent memory, and perhaps that context hurt my perception here. He’s never a liability, but he doesn’t shine either. He’s in the shot nearly continuously, but dramatically he’s given very little to do. Ellen Page did well, though her Juno performance was so powerful I may never be able to get all the way around it. I always grin a bit when Tom Berenger shows up.
Inception is a good effort that was obviously made with care, but I think it’s too ambitious. It wants to move the goalposts; instead its one trick isn’t enough scaffolding to fully realize its potential. Really, what does its complex narrative do but compartmentalize well-done, but fairly stock, scenes?
The finished product is strong enough to get a good rating from me, but I think this was a moon shot that fell a bit short.
7/10
You might also like:
- Review: Avatar
I took in Avatar, James Cameron’s first real movie of the 21st century, with BamaDan and Dad tonight… - Review: The Karate Kid (2010)
Behold the least necessary film of the year! The Karate Kid is, of course, a remake of the 1984 film… - Review: TRON: Legacy
We made it a two-movie week with TRON: Legacy today. BamaDan, his two older boys, my dad, our boys, … - Review: The Last Airbender
Wow, you talk about low expectations. It’s really tough to find a positive review of The Last Airben… - Dad’s second chance to hear the important part
Aaron asked late last week if we could do something fun together. Talked to Mom, and we decided we’d…
I’ll give it 8/10. Very enjoyable and not nearly as long as the running time. My negatives are all based on Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead. He’s an absolute cyper of an “actor.” I would have much preferred to see Joseph Gordon Leavitt in that role…he has really grown as an actor – far cry from 3rd Rock. I was much more interested in him and his underlying “sneakiness” than LDC and his brooding.