With Inception, Christopher Nolan has proven, yet again that he is the best filmmaker currently making big-budget studio films. Nolan began his career making complex art-house type films (Following and Memento), then he followed those up with his first foray into working with a larger budget and bigger stars, Insomnia. While I enjoyed Insomnia, I feel that it is the least of Nolan's films, possibly because it is a remake of a Norwegian film (which I have yet to see) and unlike all his other films, Nolan did not have a hand in writing the screenplay.
I was skeptical when I first heard that Nolan was going to be taking over the Batman franchise. I was afraid that he might lose the qualities of what was best about his film making like Sam Raimi did when he made the Spiderman films (luckily Raimi regained it with Drag Me to Hell!), but with Batman Begins, Nolan made the best comic-book superhero adaptation to date. Nolan stripped the characters of their cartoonish quality and gave them new life. He also showed that he could make an action film without losing the complexities of his storytelling.
The Prestige is probably the most character-driven of all of Nolan's films. He recasts Christian Bale and Michael Caine from Batman Begins along with Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson, and David-Freaking-Bowie! The Prestige revolves around the relationship between two turn-of-the-century magicians and their mutual animosity for one another and their attempts to destroy the other. The Prestige was released around the same time as another film about an antiquated magician, the Edward Norton film, The Illusionist. Upon initial viewing of both films, I felt that The Illusionist was the better of the two, but after seeing the The Prestige two more times, I have changed my mind about that.
What more can I say about The Dark Knight that hasn't already been said? The casting of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker was an inspired choice that really gave the film its basis. Whereas Christopher Nolan used the film Blade Runner as inspiration for Batman Begins, he used the Michael Mann film Heat as his groundwork for The Dark Knight. Heat is one of my favorite films, and you can really feel it in Nolan's direction. Ledger's performance as the Joker is one of the best performances by an actor his age that comes to mind. In films like Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain, Ledger gave outstanding performances, but his characterization of the Joker is by far his best, and sadly the last great performance we'll have from him.
Which finally brings us to Inception. I will not say too much of the plot for those who haven't already seen the film, but I will discuss the technical aspects. It has been written in articles that Nolan spent ten years working on the screenplay for Inception, and it shows. After viewing Inception, it is clear that Christopher Nolan's storytelling ability goes far beyond that of your average filmmaker. No other filmmaker besides Nolan could have brought this story to the screen, let alone understand it well enough to interpret it! Nolan has layered his story (literally) to the point where the film leaves the viewer with thoughts of the film long after they have left the theater.
The casting of the film is yet again, amazing. Leonardo Dicaprio leads the cast which is varied by ethnicity and nationality. Inception features actors from the US, Britain, France, Japan, and India, and all these actors have major roles. I can't readily think of another film that this can be said of. All of the performances are outstanding and contribute to the believability of the fantastical nature of the film.
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!
Inception achieves something unique within the world of summer blockbusters. It gives us a plot line that is entirely original. Some may argue that it contains ideas from films like The Matrix or Dark City, but the story doesn't really hinge on these elements. Nolan has given us a film that isn't a remake, adaptation, or a rehash of something else. Inception is totally new and incredible.
The trailers show city blocks folding in on themselves and characters engaged in hand-to-hand combat in gravity-less hallways, but these are just small parts of the overall story and aren't even integral to the film itself. Nolan has weaved these awesome visuals with a story that is complex enough to leave the viewer satisfied on all levels. Inception does something that Michael Bay can only do in his dreams (no spoiler intended!). Nolan marries amazing special effects, great acting, and an engaging and mind-bending screenplay into a film that is the best of the year, so far. Other filmmakers will be hard-pressed to top this one anytime soon!
END SPOILERS
While I have only seen Inception once at the time of this writing, it is a film that lends itself to multiple viewings. Multiple screenings will give the audience time to penetrate the storyline and fully envelop themselves in the world that Nolan has created. I plan on seeing it again when the audiences have died down a bit. If you haven't seen Inception already, get off your butt and go see it! This is a film that has something for everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment