Friday, July 23, 2010

The Dork Review: Inception

There is only one word that adequately sums up my feelings for this movie.

WOW!

Ok, now for the longer explanation/review. This movie kicks ass on so many levels. At the superficial level, it has tons of action, well placed special effects, and gorgeous scenery. So if that's all you're really looking for in a movie, you won't be disappointed. However, this movie is even deeper, kind of like a dream within a dream. (That last line will make sense one you see the movie.)

First off, I'm reading a book on plot and structure right now. This movie could easily be bundled with the book as a how to example. Christopher Nolan hits all the right beats at all the right time. The movie started at around 7:40 PM and didn't end till after 10:00 PM, and I swear it could have gone on for another hour and I wouldn't have noticed. (My bladder may have objected though.)

The end ties right back to the beginning. Everything is tied up satisfactorily, but at the same time there is a mystery left open, so that the audience is left wondering, and the elements that support this mystery are spread out through the entire movie. All of the major characters seem well crafted and human, none of them cardboard cutouts there just to fill a role. Again, the only word I can use to describe it is WOW.

This movie illustrates why I love writing. That may sound weird, but it all ties together. Nolan wrote and directed it, so what was up on screen was as close to his original vision as possible, as he had the greatest amount of control. A movie like this inspires me to do better in my own writing, to meet the unspoken challenge to craft something as good or even better. (Though crafting something better will be difficult to say the least.)

Go and see it. For me it has been the best movie this year, even better than Iron Man 2, which I really enjoyed.

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