Inception (2010)

kyle — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:00:17 +0000

The biggest question I pondered upon seeing Inception was: is Christopher Nolan the undisputed top direction in mainstream film? Perhaps I should have answered “yes” after his prior few pieces (The Dark Knight, The Presige, Batman Begins, Memento), but with his latest effort, I see few rivals to Nolan’s finished products. Some directors match his technical expertise; some equal his imagination; some are on par with his character direction. But none puts it all together like Nolan. His films are grand in scope, phenomenal in story, and sublime in execution. He has not made one mediocre movie. Inception more than continues that trend.

Batman Begins and The Dark Knight were predictably action vehicles, but they injected thematic intelligence to the maximum. Inception falls closer to Nolan’s other films, where the intricate plotlines are front and center. All the reviews you’ve heard are true: Inception demands you pay attention. It won’t take an IQ of 150 to understand the film, but it’s not simply fireworks in the sky. And that’s a good thing. The thinking man’s Hollywood movie is an increasing rarity.
Since the plotline is such an integral part of a viewer’s enjoyment of the film, I won’t delve into analysis or recap. The themes of dreams versus reality, memory, regret, catharsis, and reconciliation are abundant (a recurrence for Nolan) and excellent.

Fret not, action junkie, Inception is not all thought experiment. Nolan adds plenty of suspense and adrenaline to the film, including the first “zero gravity” fight scene. In some ways, the film is a traditional heist flick. Further, the cinematography is brilliant, as Nolan and team blend elaborate landscapes and special effects to splendid effect. On top of it all is a strong cast with strong performances, headlined, of course, by Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio.

Perhaps the greatest part of the whole thing, though, is the ending. Nolan unpins a grenade, tosses it toward a keg of explosives, and finalizes in a way that will leave you thinking. After the credits roll, the final aspect of the story causes the viewer to immediately reevaluate the finer points of the story they discerned in the process, a la Memento and The Prestige.

The only negativity I have encountered regarding the film are the need for a more resolute resolution and some noise from those who simply don’t like films to make you think. To me, the former criticism is understandable, but I like the ending just as presented. To the latter, I say, go see Toy Story 3.

Few big-budget films are worth the price of admission these days. Inception is definitely one of them.

mith rating: 9.5

The Top Project

kyle — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 04:09:02 +0000

Being a fanatic of lists, especially rated lists, and a fanatic of books and films, I decided to devote some spare time to combining the fanaticisms. The Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels of the English language in the 20th century is an excellent list and I decided to task myself with reading or rereading them all. They Shoot Pictures, Don’t They? published a truly astounding list of the 1,000 greatest films, based on a staggering compilation of thousands of lists from critics, historians, and film experts. I decided to saddle myself with watching all 1,000. Obviously these projects will take a long damn time to complete, especially the films list. I wanted to chronicle my experience here. This page will feature updates as I crawl toward the finish lines of these lists. Please check to see if I have died from exhaustion along the way.

Note: the lists will be maintained on The Top Project page.

Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century

I will rank the books as I read them and leave links to reviews in this space. A couple of the books I read slightly before deciding to tackle the list, so they are fresh enough to avoid the reread. I decided to start with all the books I read in high school, since nearly all of them I loved even through the fog of memory. See the Modern Library’s list for reference.

PROGRESS: 7/100

Mith Rankings

1. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
2. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
3. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
4. Tender is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald
5. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess
6. As I Lay Dying – William Faulkner
7. The Sheltering Sky – Paul Bowles

TSPDT’s The 1,000 Great Films

Not sure how many years this project will entail or if I will ever get anywhere near completion, but it’s worth a shot, eh? I’ll try to compile rankings here until the list becomes too unwieldy. No rhyme or reason for the watching order. Unless I truly do not remember a film because I watched it when I was 10, I won’t review what I’ve already seen.

PROGRESS: ??/100

Mith Rankings

Coming soon!

mithridatism » Film

Inception (2010)

The Top Project