fwiw, pro writer Ryan Condal's ("Galahad") non-spoiler Inception review: "Brilliant"
Posted by
chuckles (aka chris)
Jul 12 '10, 19:52
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I caught a screening of Chris Nolan's latest at the WGA yesterday. It was brilliant. The best movie I've seen this year and the best thing I've seen since last year's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS. In terms of movie sci-fi, I'm prepared to say that this is the best thing since THE MATRIX and I think that I actually prefer INCEPTION.
I'll keep this spoiler free so that everyone can read and enjoy.
I'm a huge fan of Nolan's, dating back to when I first saw MEMENTO and FOLLOWING thanks to Netflix. The guy is really batting 1.000. Who else in our current generation of directors can boast a professional resume that compares to MEMENTO, INSOMNIA, BATMAN BEGINS, THE PRESTIGE, DARK KNIGHT and -- possibly his greatest yet -- INCEPTION? The man who resurrected Batman from the pit of Schumacher-ian despair followed it up with a criminally under-seen magician drama in THE PRESTIGE, which was, until now, my favorite of Nolan's works from an artistic perspective. As a geek, I love Batman, but THE PRESTIGE is a clinic in exactly how to pull off twist storytelling, keep it engaging, and keep the mystery threaded until the very end.
"Are you watching closely?"
Nolan could have well begun INCEPTION with the same question. This is definitely Nolan's most conceptually ambitious film and it does not disappoint. This alone is reason for screenwriters to see the movie as a study in exploitation of concept. Every thing in this movie, from theme to character to plot, draws from the same well: dreams.
The film is so layered that it's going to take me another viewing to dig into that second level of material, an experience I'm sure will help me appreciate the film even more. The storytelling is just so intellectually nourishing that I was engaged at a deeper level than I ever am in the movies. I can't remember the last time I was so glued to the screen, trying to pick up everything, to analyze it, to savor the enjoyment that I experienced from the first sequence until the mind-bending 45 minute third act. It's not without nitpicks, questions, and some logistical points of confusion, but those points really just add to the fun.
I'll join the discussion once the film is released this week, but please go see this in theaters if you consider yourself in any way a lover of movies. It's everything we ask for as writers and fans: an original story conceived for film that's driven by the creative team rather than market research. It's very important that this movie do well because I'm sure it will spur the development of at least a handful of original sci-fi projects as a result.
INCEPTION is like make-up sex for the summer of abuse we've had to endure in the movie theater. Buy a ticket and let Chris Nolan make sweet, sweet love to your brain this weekend.
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