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twentyten: film….I don’t even know
2010 started off strong with film, I was enthused, keeping my standard (aggressive?) pace, then…
CLUNK.
Sure there were distractions *cough* 6 seasons of Lost *cough* but overall I’ve found myself disappointed and disengaged with film as of late. (I mean even on the cusp of Oscar night I was disinterested see: 1 week till Oscars)
But tonight, sure enough, my pal Chris Nolan gave me a boost out of the funk.
Inception. I’m sure there are plenty of eloquent, raving, perhaps even profound reviews out there, but I’m going to give you a checklist of sorts. The things-Kristin-adores-in-film-that-happen-to-be-present-in-Christopher-Nolan’s-Inception checklist.
- Well done - non-gratuitous effects. Some may argue, but I didn’t think this one altered the physics of the shark.
- Heist or Con-centric plots. Especially when executed by a strong, ensemble cast.
- Beautiful men. Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, wow.
- Artfully tailored suits. (and spot on costume design) This at times mesmerized me more than the visual effects.
- Science fiction. To a greater extent when not indicative of a specific time, win!
- Emotionally burdened yet breathtakingly beautiful French women. I’ll even argue a love triangle in this one, albeit flipped from general French standard. Thoughts?
- Cerebral thriller. Yep, a most visited Netflix recommendation category.
- Exceeding my expectations. I was meh on the trailer, but sold by Nolan/cast.
- Michael Caine.
- Tortured romance. Call me crazy, but I appreciate it more with a dose of heartache.
- Notable cinematography. More so when not a lone standing attribute to a film.
- Hoth. Okay so this doesn’t happen often, but didn’t it come to mind? Just a little?
- More than just a chase scene. Pay attention Michael Bay.
- Not yet. Books, TV, film…I adore when you’re almost pleading for them not to end.
Alright, enough.
Yes, I just saw it and am still on my theater-high, but I really did think this was a great story executed as an artful balance of time.
7/20/10
