Inception
Well, that was an adventure ...
And yes, it did take me this long to see it; I kept meaning to get out to the movie theatre on the weekends but there was always something better to do.
And it was good! I was thinking through the first two thirds that it was, like Dark Knight, one of those movies that everyone loves but I just can't get the hang of, and kept getting distracted by little things in the background. It doesn't help that they shot part of it in Downtown LA, and my sister (who lives there) had all sorts of stories about the filming of it, which was nearly all I could think of at the time.* But by the climax, I was much more into it, and found it mysteriously uplifting in a way I can't really pin down. The idea was great, and the storytelling was pretty good, but not in a way that makes me go 'YES this is how it should be!' - it was remarkably well-handled for how complicated the story was and the layers of gradual revelation on top of that, but for all its craftsmanship it didn't really sing. I think once again it might be down to characters: the cast of Inception are all good actors and I was sure they and the director knew who they were, but they never really bothered to tell the audience more than the bare minimum, and I would never be able to get into their heads and write them into anything else if I had to. I was surprised my favourite character didn't die, but then I realized he was only my favourite because he was playing the type of character who's usually my favourite, not because of any particular appeal on his part (besides the costume ... but again, that's the type). He did implement one of the most genius applications of Newton's Third Law I have ever seen in the cinema, though. (Or was it the Second? I can't tell...) Well done, there. I think that was the point at which I got into the movie.
I don't know if Christopher Nolan uses the same production designer on all his movies or if he himself has a strong influence on it, but I really like his aesthetic. That said, though, I have an unbirthday present for his director of photography:
Seriously. The Handycam look is really effective when used strategically but ENOUGH ALREADY. I felt ever so slightly ill through the whole thing, and while it might have been down to the elderly leftovers I'd had for dinner, the constant hectic motion on the screen can't have helped. Extra super thankful this movie was not in 3D: that would have been perceptual overload. Urgh, feeling sick just thinking about it.
All in all though, my favourite thing about the movie is really outside the movie itself: it's a movie that takes concentration and intellectual involvement, AND it was quite successful in its theatrical run. I'm sure a lot of the initial audience was suckered in by the director and star, but the fact people came out of it saying 'that was awesome!' and not 'what a load of balls' gives me the tiniest sliver of hope for the future of the moviegoing public.
I shall leave you with one of my distracting thoughts, which made me chuckle inappropriately:
"Why are we going to Paris?"
"Because my producer says we can."
*One of my favourites was the video she sent me that someone had shot from their apartment of the train going down Spring St - I still think this video is more surreal than the actual train scene in the movie.
And yes, it did take me this long to see it; I kept meaning to get out to the movie theatre on the weekends but there was always something better to do.
And it was good! I was thinking through the first two thirds that it was, like Dark Knight, one of those movies that everyone loves but I just can't get the hang of, and kept getting distracted by little things in the background. It doesn't help that they shot part of it in Downtown LA, and my sister (who lives there) had all sorts of stories about the filming of it, which was nearly all I could think of at the time.* But by the climax, I was much more into it, and found it mysteriously uplifting in a way I can't really pin down. The idea was great, and the storytelling was pretty good, but not in a way that makes me go 'YES this is how it should be!' - it was remarkably well-handled for how complicated the story was and the layers of gradual revelation on top of that, but for all its craftsmanship it didn't really sing. I think once again it might be down to characters: the cast of Inception are all good actors and I was sure they and the director knew who they were, but they never really bothered to tell the audience more than the bare minimum, and I would never be able to get into their heads and write them into anything else if I had to. I was surprised my favourite character didn't die, but then I realized he was only my favourite because he was playing the type of character who's usually my favourite, not because of any particular appeal on his part (besides the costume ... but again, that's the type). He did implement one of the most genius applications of Newton's Third Law I have ever seen in the cinema, though. (Or was it the Second? I can't tell...) Well done, there. I think that was the point at which I got into the movie.
I don't know if Christopher Nolan uses the same production designer on all his movies or if he himself has a strong influence on it, but I really like his aesthetic. That said, though, I have an unbirthday present for his director of photography:
Seriously. The Handycam look is really effective when used strategically but ENOUGH ALREADY. I felt ever so slightly ill through the whole thing, and while it might have been down to the elderly leftovers I'd had for dinner, the constant hectic motion on the screen can't have helped. Extra super thankful this movie was not in 3D: that would have been perceptual overload. Urgh, feeling sick just thinking about it.
All in all though, my favourite thing about the movie is really outside the movie itself: it's a movie that takes concentration and intellectual involvement, AND it was quite successful in its theatrical run. I'm sure a lot of the initial audience was suckered in by the director and star, but the fact people came out of it saying 'that was awesome!' and not 'what a load of balls' gives me the tiniest sliver of hope for the future of the moviegoing public.
I shall leave you with one of my distracting thoughts, which made me chuckle inappropriately:
"Why are we going to Paris?"
"Because my producer says we can."
*One of my favourites was the video she sent me that someone had shot from their apartment of the train going down Spring St - I still think this video is more surreal than the actual train scene in the movie.