As the most hyped movie of 2010, it's hard to write a review of Inception - ask Armond White. I've seen the movie three times now and would like to share some thoughts.
Inception is a Movie's movie. It has a cool concept - dream thieves - which allows Christopher Nolan to do whatever he pleases without much need for any sort of continuity or reality. The results are impressive: confused gravity fight scenes; physics defying structures; and a whole lot of time and brain twisting. The result is a pretty tense and packed two and a half hours - it almost feels like you're playing a video game. If you go along with everything it's hugely enjoyable. Second and third time through though I started picking it apart more. Almost half of the movie is spent on explaining whats going on filled in with action sequences. The explanation is part of the joy first time round, but it means that the movie will not remain a movie that I want to go back to over and over.
Third time round I really noticed how much Nolan loves graphic novels. (Yes, the Batman movies should have been a bit of a give away.) Inception, I think, could have functioned better as a Alan-Moore-wannabe graphic novel than a movie. The pseudo-philosophical monologues (Characters often feel like they're talking to the audience rather than to the other characters) function on a slightly cheesy level which befits comics better than film. An unmoving medium would also really complement the cross timeframe action lending more forward momentum to the film and a better sense of proportion. But it's not a comic. Too bad.
I've always had beef with Nolan's action sequences. Batman Begins was essentially a bunch of figures dressed in black moving quickly while shaky camera effects panned this way and that. I only really knew who'd won a fight after it was over (you just assume it's Batman unless he's making groaning noises). Inception cleans it up a bit and I appreciate that I could follow the action more. More linear sequences. Good step in that direction.
Cillian Murphy is again the best actor in Nolan's cast, playing the target of this particular heist. I find it sad seeing Michael Caine reduced to minor, and uninteresting roles. (Go watch Sleuth again...either of them...to remember why he's great.) I've come to really like DiCaprio over the years, if not entirely for his acting then for his movie choices, but this year with two pretty decent reality-confused characters I wonder whether he will get past that confused and pained expression which he does so well and pull off another Aviator. I hope so.
Nolan had a dream and created one. Like a dream it's exciting and vivid while you're in it, but it fades as you enter reality once more. This dream isn't likely to fade as quickly as others, but reality is breaking in.
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