23 July 2010

Inception

I think A. O. Scott's review basically nailed it*:

So “Inception” is not necessarily the kind of experience you would take to your next shrink appointment. It is more like a diverting reverie than a primal nightmare, something to be mused over rather than analyzed, something you may forget as soon as it’s over. Which is to say that the time — nearly two and a half hours — passes quickly and for the most part pleasantly, and that you see some things that are pretty amazing, and amazingly pretty: cities that fold in on themselves like pulsing, three-dimensional maps; chases and fights that defy the laws that usually govern space, time and motion; Marion Cotillard’s face.

I found the movie quite amusing and entertaining. I didn't mind that it was long - it didn't really feel long. Visually it was pretty cool, though not that impressive. The action sequences were neat but not amazing. There was one scene - the one where the city folded in on itself - that was really awesome, but the rest was actually not as cool as it could have been, I thought.

The plot, on the other hand - meh. I guessed the ending pretty quickly - the movie spells out an obvious contradiction rather blatantly pretty early on, which ought to make the ending obvious, if you haven't guessed it before even seeing the movie.

Overall though, the thing is - the whole dream/reality and omg how do you ever really know?!? thing just isn't all that exciting to me. I mean, it's an interesting idea, sure, but it doesn't really create much dramatic tension for me. Or maybe this movie just didn't do it all that effectively, I dunno. In any case - overall, it wasn't particularly tantalizing or mentally engaging. The makers are to be praised for articulating it relatively succinctly and in a somewhat interesting way, but still, the dialogue occasionally induces some eye-rolling, as does the acting. The characters are just a wee bit more than straight types, enough so that the whole thing doesn't feel totally wooden, but not enough to make you really care about them.

Overall, it's a fun movie, and it's definitely worth seeing, I think. But it's really not all that fantastic.

*Though I do disagree with all the hating on Dark Knight, which I thought was a phenomenal film, and a genuinely interesting moral drama.

No comments: