I've loved Christopher Nolan for years now, since I first saw Memento, his second film. I've lost count of the number of times I've watched it and his others since. He is a genius and I have a massive platonic love for him. I don't need to wait to see a trailer or even for an announcement of any kind to be excited for a film of his, I'm automatically looking forward to his next film, the one after that and so on until he's raptured back from where he came from. (Or until the mothership comes back for him, whichever theory proves correct.) Going to see his films is as close to church as I'll get.
Why this devotion? Plainly, he's my role model. He makes intelligent, meaningful films which are simultaneously exciting as hell and which make millions.
Inception is no exception. It features a very attractive cast (Leonardo diCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon Lovett, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cottiard, Cillian Murphy), brain melting special effects (screw you Avatar) and as many car chases/crashes/explosions as you could possibly want. It even has a fight sequence in a rotoscope, which is pretty much the most amazing thing ever.
But as well as that, there's the cleverness. It creates a world, and fills it with interesting characters and philosophical questions. Not only the main character develops. While Dom Cobb is the protagonist, and his decision to accept reality is the arc of the story, the supporting characters have their own trajectories. Arthur learns to use his imagination, Ariadne grows up, and Robert Fischer becomes his own man.
I know the plot isn't perfect, because I've seen this film four times now and that's sufficient to spot a couple of plot niggles, but I absolutely don't care because compared to the magnificence of the whole, it's immaterial. Why did they need a week on the first level? Better safe than sorry, right?
The ending is my favourite part. On first viewing, by that point I felt wrung out already (I was crying, big surprise, it was the paper fan which did me in), and then, the last shot-! My heart skipped a beat. Several, in fact. Thinking about it now, my stomach has decided to take up residence in feet. It's the perfect ending, and pretentious as it is, I can only liken it to the piece of Mozart which ends on an imperfect cadence (and which I have been wracking my brain trying to remember the name of, no luck yet). It ratchets you up to the most extreme point and then leaves you there. I had to sit through the titles just to get my breath back and even then I was wobbly on my legs, and things felt artificial for a while.
It's worth mentioning that Hans Zimmer is brilliant, and I want him to write the soundtrack to my life. I am, in fact, listening to the Inception soundtrack right now even though it's deeply unhealthy. Foghorn blares will never be the same again.
Lastly:
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2 comments:
I thought it was still visually stunning the second time around but I think it lost a little bit and I despised Mal (or Mol or whatever) even more the second time around.
The ending, on reflection, seems far too cheeky and feels thrown in, just to give the film another talking point.
What also ruined my second viewing was the amount of time they spent setting up the finale. I know all the best heist movies start similarly, but they also had to explain the concept which I think held it back.
Still, stunning, thought-provoking and deep...the first time around.
Though they should have finished off the effect where DiCaprio and Page walk onto the other piece of road at a 90 degree angle.
If you've read my comments on Mahara then you will know that we will agree to differ on this Flick. That said I hope you might find this amusing http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2010/08/studio-notes-on-inception.html
It comes from an excellent writing blog which is well worth following.
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