So if you've been in contact with me for the past year then you probably heard me talking about two movies; James Cameron's Avatar and Christopher Nolan's Inception. While I loved Avatar, I do hold Inception at a higher place in my heart. And there are reasons for this as well as reasons as to why I'm calling this Best Film of 2010.
First above all else... It's Chris Nolan. Really, his name on anything makes it automatically better just by association. Though I still have yet to see "Following," "Insomnia" and "The Prestige," "Memento" and "The Dark Knight" are two of my favorite movies of all time. I also am one of the few who really, really dug "Batman Begins." The man can do no wrong and usually raises the bar with every film. I mean can you imagine how amazing Batman 3 will be now? Not to mention he's godfathering Superman so I'm curious to see how that'll go as well.
Second has to be the flippin' amazing cast. Leo DiCaprio at the lead, Joseph Gordon-Levitt right behind him and of course... Ellen Paige. Oh Ellen Paige. Aside from that we have Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy and Ken Watanabe. If that's not enough we also have Marion Cotillard as a mysterious character connected to Leo's past. Everyone else in the backround like, Tom Hardy and that scientist dude from "Avatar," also just make this a great cast. We can only assume that some kind of nomination is gonna go to one of these people.
Third is the story. I mean really. I'm sure people are just tired of remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels and adaptations. This is an original story created by Chris Nolan. Not only that, with Nolan's trackrecord, it'll most likely be very well written and psychological to some extent. What's great about the film, from what I heard, is that it's not too complicated. Average film goers will probably leave saying it was a good film and had great action. The rest of us, film buffs and people who love writing, will think about the movie long after the credits role.
Synopsis: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible–inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming. This summer, your mind is the scene of the crime.
So, the fourth reason the movie rocks my socks off is the concept of the whole thing. Dreams, the architecture of the mind and the extraction of thoughts. This is a contemporary sci-fi film but in essence is a heist film. A little bit of "The Matrix" with some James Bond mixed in. Cobb steals thoughts for his clients but this time his team must INPLANT a single thought. Cobb will of course not only be what the story relies on but the emotional backbone of the film. Why is he doing this? What has he lost? What does he fear? This could be Nolan's most emotional film yet.
Fifth reason isn't really a big deal but... Hans Zimmer. People who know me personally know that my mp3 player not only holds regular music but also film scores. I just love them. And I love no other composer than Hans Zimmer. His work on "The Lion King," Pirates 2 & 3, "The Last Samurai," "Sherlock Holmes" and both Nolan Batman films pretty much put him at that position. I am hoping for nothing more than one of the best scores of the year from him.
The film wasn't shot in IMAX but the cinematography looks so effin' gorgeous. The framing, the shots, lighting, scope and heck, even quality. It all looks amazing. The production design also looks incredible. I mean there's this one scene involving a zero-gravity fight. Nolan had a rotating set built for that scene. Meaning that well... Nolan tries to get as much on camera as possible. As usual, Nolan isn't an effects director. He doesn't rely on CGI most of the time. For him, story, characters and tone are what matter most. Everything else is second. But the CGI we do see looks awesome and not distracting at all.
The bottom line is that I have been obsessed with this film ever since I saw that first teaser trailer way back in August '09. This is the movie I've been waiting for as much as, if not more than, "Avatar." Christopher Nolan's Inception will be the movie of the summer and the movie we've been waiting for in this time of remakes, reboots, sequels, prequels, adaptations and generally bad writing. The dream is real. July 16th, your mind is the scene of the crime.
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