Efficacious Nonsense

So….Inception.

                I am an enormous Christopher Nolan fan.  I love his work, almost unconditionally at this point, and let’s face it; there are very few comic book fans out there that don’t.  Batman Begins redefined the nature of the Comic Book Movie, and then the Dark Knight practically perfected it, melding the outlandish and absurd aspects of the fictional universe in a way that is just on the right side of believability.  But as big of a comic book fan as I am, I had loved The Prestige even more.  I have always been enamored with Stage Magic as well as the Victorian era, so I was bound to love it more than most.  My Grandfather was no mean magician himself, and would often entertain with various card tricks and slightly more complicated illusions, (Calling the Wizard was a personal favorite, and there are few members of my family who aren’t familiar with it).  Naturally, with my adoration of Mr. Nolan’s films firmly in place, I trekked over to the movies last night to see Inception, his newest thriller.  The movie clocks in at just under 2 ½ hours, and the plot is complicated but well explained.  I had expected a good sci-fi flick, perhaps with a little heart and some cool action sequences.  But I was wrong; Inception was not a good movie.

It was a great one.

It is, without a doubt, the finest piece of Science Fiction made in the last ten years.  Within ten minutes of the movie ending, I was so blown away that I had instantly put it alongside the two greatest Sci-Fi films of all time, Bladerunner and The Terminator.  In fact, the film owes a great deal to the former, and yet again, Nolan reminds me of Ridley Scott with his attention to detail and ability to navigate genre films and make them truly extraordinary.  The film is not short of spectacle, but it is all handled with extreme precision and beautiful camera work.  The set pieces are elaborate and wholly realized, never once feeling fake or contrived.  The film pulls you in and makes you believe in the concepts without any doubts; you have no room for disbelief because you are too intrigued.  While it is for sure a complicated film, it is all meticulously explained.

The performances were top notch, but I’d like to cal out a few in particular.  Dicaprio, as always, proves yet again that he is an extraordinary talent, but that is at this point to be expected.  Ken Watanabe is perfect in his role, as he always is, and I wish that American studios would give him more work.  While he has only done a small number of American films, his performances are always excellent and he always brings a regal intensity to the role he is playing.  Ellen Page here proves that she is capable of great range beyond the hipsterism laced dialogue of Juno (which I loved, don’t get me wrong).  Joseph Gordon Levitt is perhaps one of the most remarkable actors of his (my) generation, and to have come from an amusing, but fairly average sitcom like 3^rd Rock from the Sun, it is all the more extraordinary.  I always liked him, and Ten Things I Hate about You is one of my favorite teen comedies, but he really has exploded in the last few years and I hope he never goes away.  (it does seem that perhaps Nolan himself has an affinity for Ten Things, lets watch for Julia Stiles or Larry Miller in his next film and my suspicions will be confirmed.)  Dileep Rao, who I loved in Drag me to Hell, was perfect casting.  Tom Hardy, who has been tapped to play Mad Max in an upcoming 4^th installment, steals every scene he is in, grabbing attention away from fan favorites and more recognizable stars.  Hs character brings a small amount of levity to an otherwise serious film, and he oozes charm like a bond villain.   Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger (what?) and Nolan favorite Michael Caine round out the cast and all perform to their usual standards.  (Caine is always fun to watch, and despite his minimal screen time is still an influential part of the film).  Pete Postlethwaite, who is one of films great “That Guys”, shows up a few times for some pivotal moments.  (He also appears as an uncredited barber in Ridley Scott’s first film, The Duelists, but since I am one of the ten people who always notice him, I may be the only one who knows).

                Nolan has always had some trouble with fight scenes, however Inception certainly changes that.  There is one fight between Arthur (Levitt) and a few “projections” (see the film, too much to explain here) that might be the coolest fight seen I have ever seen. 

Go see Inception, go see it now, it really is something to behold, and proof that in this world of remakes, reboots adaptations and Facebook: The Movie (really David Fincher, really, you directed Se7en for Christ’s sake), there are still original ideas out there that can wow and stun like no other.