Review, thoughts, and reaction: Inception

In today's entertainment hungry society, it is very rare for a film to come along and instantly be considered a classic. But how do we define a classic? A wholly original, magnificently acted piece of cinema, with stellar soundtrack and beautifully crafted dialogue to boot? And just think how difficult this criteria is to achieve, taking into account how many plots, characters, and shots we've had come and go since the dawn of film. You'd be pretty certain this cinematic status is near impossible to achieve. Right?

Wrong.

Inception is the new film by Christopher Nolan, and his first completely original piece of work since his feature film debut, Following. The film is essentially a heist movie with a twist, in which Cobb (DiCaprio) and Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) steal people's deepest secrets by effectively invading their dreams. The film takes a U-turn though when Saito (Watanbe) offers Cobb a chance to regain his previous life, by planting an idea in someones head, instead of stealing once. Hence the title; Inception.

Everything about this film is almost flawless, but despite two viewings, I'm still finding it difficult to see whether this is the case, due to the initial awe the film inspires in the viewer. This could perhaps warrant a second reflection in a few weeks time, which might result in a slightly more neutral result, but hopefully not.

What's good?

Nolan's firm grasp on the art of story telling is very much apparant in Inception. Not only does the film pack a knockout punch of originality, and intricate detail, but it also operates on several levels, leaving the viewer to distinguish between the dream world and reality. This is what makes the film special, because as well as amazing you, it will stimulate your mind, causing you to think it over for hours, even days after you've seen it. Especially the ending. I guarantee it will drive you crazy.

Away from the script and story, the casting and performances are the best I've seen in ages. Similarly to the Godfather there isn't a bad performance, and although in most cases we may not feel as endeared towards less prominent characters as we are with Fredo and Sonny, it is impossible to ignore how convincing the performance are. I've already picked Leo for best actor this year, and possibly Ellen Page, who was robbed from best actress for Juno.

Despite the new found obession of 3-D cinema, especially after the success of James Cameron's 'Avatar', you'd have thought Inception would have followed suit. Wrong again. Nolan himself is not a fan of 3-D, and many think because of this the film will suffer visually. Trust me - this is not the case. Overflowing with amazing CGI and some really awe-inspiring photography, Inception is the years the most impressive film, especially on the big screen. Definitely worth taking a trip down to your nearest IMAX for.

The soundtrack is also something that Nolan and Zimmer have triumphed with, and when played through the cinema sound system, it really does give you goosebumps, from the sheer ferociousness of the gunfire, to the haunting music.

What's bad?

Not an awful lot to be honest.

The plot has come under scrutiny, and yes there are some holes here and there. It's not something you're going to fully understand straight away, which in a way can be frustrating, but is really aided by a second viewing, and a good explanation, several of which can be found online. The plot itself isn't that bad, but the minor details about dream levels and how it all work can be slightly dizzying at times.

And although the performances are great, and as an audience we do feel sympathy towards Cobb, the other characters appear quite shallow on the screen, in terms of their backstory and personality. This is a double edged sword though, and one could argue it helps the ambiguous and mysterious nature of the film.

Conclusion

Inception is a major triumph, not only for Nolan, but for film itself. Not once did I take my eyes off the screen, and very few films manage to command and capture that high level of attention. It will no doubt be remembered as a classic of our generation, as well in the history of film. It is by no means the best film ever made, but it is the closest we've had in years.

You have to see this film.

Rating: 5/5.

Verdict: The good.

Take... erm... what take are we on again?

It's funny how I always seem to be busier in holidays than I am in term time. There's definitelty something wrong there. But hopefully now everything is calming down a bit now, so I should get plenty of time for blogging and reviews.

So whats been keeping me? Well. Between the last time I posted and now, I've turned 20, completed the IMDb 250, restarted driving, been trying to catch up with all my Telford friends, been working, and sorting out various forms of finance. It's been a bit of a whirlwind.

But now everything seems to be sorted, I can start breathing some life into this seriously malnutrioned blog. In the next few days I'll get my review of the Godfather trilogy posted, as well as special on Inception, packed with my thoughts and reactions to it.

This will be the last time I leave my blog for so long. Scouts honour!

Dean

Reviews: The Godfather Trilogy

Me and one of my friends had planned to do a Godfather marathon for quite a while, but never really got round to it. We then decided what better to celebrate essay hand in with , than watching one of the most iconic trilogies in film history from start to finish. For anyone who hasn't already, I'd highly recommend it. Get together with a mate, or a bunch of mates, get some beverages in, order a pizza, and you've got one heck of a day lined up!

But what can be said about the Godfather trilogy (more specifically parts I & II), that hasn't already been said? Not a lot is the answer, but I'll do my best.

The Godfather: Part I
Many people, including myself, will argue that this is the greatest film of all time, and is the closest thing we've got to cinematic perfection. It is the finest story, the best collection of characters, and really needs no introduction.

Whereas the story, cinematography, and soundtrack are all superb, what really stands out is the cast. The film served as career defining performances for Brando and Pacino as Vito and Michael Corleone, despite the uncertainty of the studio to cast them in their respective roles. But in addition to these; John Cazale, James Caan, and Robert Duvall put on three of the best supporting roles of all time as the hapless Fredo, hot-headed Sonny, and Irish/German lawyer; Tom Hagen.

I could go on for days about the triumphs of this film, but I think I'll leave it for those who haven't seen it to find out about it for themselves, as part of the beauty of this film is watching the story progress, and the characters develop. For those who have seen it, it will hopefully be recognized as the film that defined not only a genre but cinema itself, and the must see film of all time.

I very much doubt for as long as we live, we will never seen anything better The Godfather.

Rating: 5/5.

Verdict: The good.

The Godfather: Part II
I once read somewhere that the Godfather II has something its earlier counterpart does not: De Niro. The beauty of Coppola and Puzo's sequel to their masterpiece from 2 years previous, is that it not only chronicles Michael's reign of fear atop the Corleone family, but also Vito's rise to power, starting from when he was a young boy in Sicily. And who better to play the role, than the best actor of all time, Robert De Niro.

The use of nonlinear narrative is perfect, and unlike other films which use the technique, the backstory is in no way irrelevant, and just as much of a part of the film as the main story is. Again I won't reveal too much about the story for those who have not been fortunate enough to see this masterpiece, but once again, it is completely flawless.

Something else I particularly love about this film, is the larger part John Cazale plays a Fredo, which is one of my all time favourite performances. Watching his relationship with Michael develop and decline, is like poetry in motion, and leads to some of the most emotional and beautifully acted scenes of all time.

I still maintain my view that The Godfather: Part I is the greatest film of all time, but The Godfather: Part II comes extremely close. And although Coppola had brilliant core material to work with in Puzo's original novel, the ability to helm two films as good as this in the space of two years, is extraordinary.

Rating: 5/5.

Verdict: The good.

The Godfather: Part III
Now this is where it gets interesting. Many critics, particularly the guys over at Empire (who gave it 2/5), have absolutely slated the final part of the trilogy, The Godfather: Part III. Most of the negativity revolves around poor performances, and the lack of the beautifully constructed narrative we were accustomed to in the previous masterpieces. Whilst I partially agree with some of these complaints, I think a lot of the criticism is unfair and in some cases unjustified.

I'll start off with what constrains the film from being as good as the first two parts in the trilogy. Whereas the addition of Andy Garcia as Vincent Mancini is a welcome addition to the cast, the lack of Brando, De Niro, and Duvall does pull the standard of acting down. This isn't aided by Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone, who does not conform to the Oscar winning acting in the previous entries.

The other aspect which seems to cause unsettle amongst film fans is the incestuous romance between Vincent and Mary, as well Michael's rekindled affection towards Kay. I believe however that this is a matter of perspective. The nay-sayers will argue that the contempt ridden character Michael, which has been so well constructed over the last few films, has been unravelled. The argument itself if logical. If you were Michael Corleone, who shot his own brother, would you forgive your wife who tried to take your kids away, and aborted your third without permission? As Michael himself so elegantly put, 'No'.

But this leads onto my view of the film, which is that it is simply, misunderstood. Obviously incestuous romance was not top of our list of 'things we wanted to see in the final part of the greatest trilogy ever', but it did keep it in the family (pardon the pun). The Romeo and Juliet style romance, creates a strong undercurrent of forbidden attraction, and allows tension to slowly seep into the cracks of the story, which comes to a head at the end of the film. Michael's reunion with Kay also allows Coppola to convey one of the major themes of the film, which is forgiveness and reflection, that is also aided by the more religious aspects the film endows.

So what are the high points of the film? The closing 40 minutes almost make any other complaints irrelevant. Again the theme of reflection is brought up, as the finale closely mirrors that of the first film, and if you have any sense of emotion or compassion, you will find yourself balanced on the edge of your seat, with much shorter nails. The soundtrack is also something that stands out, especially with the vocalized rendition of Brucia La Terra, which is used in another of the stand out scenes. And finally although the older prequels are easily preferred, which orchestrated a more poetic portrayal of violence, the more modernized violenced fits in well with the time period, creating a chronologically accurate feel.

The Godfather part III is not as good as its predecesors, but then again, when compared with arguarbly the two greatest films of all time, it is hard to achieve this feat. Although the film does have it's downfalls, there are several prevelant elements in the film which I feel still make it a worthy candidate of the trilogy, despite it being widely misunderstood.

Rating: 4/5.

Verdict: The good.

Hope you've enjoyed reading the reviews, sorry for the delay, and more to follow soon.

Dean