Inception. You must go see it.

[elfs]

Inception is everything the Matrix series wanted to be. You can see director Christopher Nolan sitting down with a pencil and saying, "I'm gonna fix everything that went wrong with the Wachowski Brothers," and he succeeded. Inception is an amazing movie, from start to end visually and intellectually appealing.

Go with no expectations. Don't bother with 3D, but do see it in Imax if available. Really, trust me on this: Inception is both awe-inspiring and talented filmmaking. At one point, Nolan has us aware of not just two but five different levels of reality are at work, and somehow keeps us completely informed of what we need to know at every level to keep up with his script. Omaha and I are gonna go see it again.

What else is beautiful about this film? Not a laptop or computer in sight. Hell, I don't remember people using a goddamn cell phone. The technology is never explained, and its origin glossed over in a single line of dialogue. Like that classic of mind invasion, Brainstorm, Inception cares little about explaining the technology and much about explaining what it means. The people both behind and before the camera do so with panache and style, and have created a beauty of filmmaking to behold.

Oh, and you learn why you hire a guy like Oliver Arthur^[*].

^[*] Must not blog after midnight, followed by going out of town for two days...

Comments

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

but do see it in Imax if available.

Ugh, respectfully I'm gonna disagree: as has happened every time I've let myself be suckered into seeing a non-IMAX film blown up to IMAX size, I deeply regretted it while watching "Inception". There's stuff actually going on across the whole frame, and blowing it up into a semicircle makes it basically impossible to watch the whole film. (And as a matter of personal taste, I find normal 35/70mm Panavision film intolerably grainy when blown up to IMAX size, but YMMV of course.)

[kenshardik]

Brilliant goddamn movie.

[(Anonymous)]

Inception isn't even available in 3D. From what I've read, Nolan isn't a fan, especially because of the restrictions imposed by 3D cameras. Plus you get an automatic extra half-star from Roger Ebert for vocally opposing 3D (and casting Ellen Page, for that matter). He loves Imax, though, and rumor has it he's going to film the next Batman movie entirely with Imax cameras.

I have to say he has pretty damn good judgement about which technologies to embrace and when. He knows how to use CGI, and he seems to be one of the few who know when not to. All of the freaky gravity scenes were practical, and those are what people walk away remembering the most.

Also, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a badass. Who knew?

Number 127

[doodlesthegreat.livejournal.com]

Oh, and you learn why you hire a guy like Oliver.

Because he's a sexy beast? =};-3

Glorious film. It made me think hard during it, and my brain loved the exercise. A week after seeing it, I keep going over what I saw and new concepts pop up and directions are exposed. I wish more summer movies were like this.

There was a little cell phone use in the film, but not much. Same for computers. But overall, the actual tech was downplayed whenever possible in favor of developing the plot and characters.

Expect a surge in sales of Edith Piaf recordings on iTunes.

[cyber-pagan.livejournal.com]

I have to agree this was a great movie. I am a little dissapointed that no one seems to remember Dreamscape, which for all practicle purposes, this is an idea remake of.

That 5 comment may have constituted a spoiler

[brandywilliams.livejournal.com]

But there's more than one way to parse the film - check out "Inception analysis from the perspective of Mimetic Theory", http://www.nolanfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=2588