brent johnson doesn’t buy the hype around Inception or Christopher Nolan …
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a brilliant response to my uber-positive review of Inception, which can be read here.]
I’m not a fan of Christopher Nolan. I know I’m in the minority on this. And I get where you’re coming from: He’s a visionary guy with a knack for visual flair and thrilling narrative. Yes, that makes him a fine director.
To me, though? Memento had an interesting premise, but is ultimately a flick that didn’t stick with me. Insomnia is okay, as I remember, but I don’t remember much about it. Batman Begins is heavy — heavy, heavy, heavy. The Dark Knight is mesmerizing mostly because of a supporting actor.
Granted, I mostly didn’t like Batman Begins because I felt Tim Burton had already made the definitive Batman. Burton’s film had loads of what Nolan films lack: humor, whimsy, lightness. I didn’t feel the genre needed a re-boot.
And now we come to Inception, Nolan’s latest film — an opus that critics say will change lives, save babies, and raise the Titanic. I was determined to head into this film without any anti-Nolan bias. And you know what? On the surface, I liked the film. It was engaging, fresh, creative, often gripping. You can read any review you’d like for more on the subject.
But in the end, it felt like the cinematic equivalent of prog-rock to me: indulgent, confusing, loud — and complex for complexity’s sake. It also managed to continue to turn Leonardo DiCaprio — who recently was turning into one of my favorite actors, with a charming, smart appeal — into a perpetually troubled soul who does nothing but brood. It was like putting his annoying character from Revolutionary Road into the middle of an episode of 24.
Again, I get it: Inception seems like pure, unadulterated genius compared to the rest of the schlock that has come out this summer. And no up-and-coming filmmaker in the business is making popcorn flicks on such a cerebral level.
But I was reminded of my problem with Nolan late in the film. There’s a scene where Joseph Gordon-Levitt charmingly tricks Ellen Page into smooching him. It made me smile — and even laugh out loud. The same way Heath Ledger made me grin and marvel every time he hit the screen in The Dark Knight. Nolan’s films need more of that. Spielberg’s films would be heavy-handed if they didn’t have lightness. Ditto for Clint Eastwood.
In other words, I’d like to see Nolan’s films be less like Rush or Styx — and more like The Clash and The Smiths. Both of those bands seem like heavy stuff on the surface. But Joe Strummer and Morrissey are mother-flippin’ hilarious. That makes war cries and morose musings go down a bit easier.
My sentiments exactly!!! Also exactly how I feel about James “Im all overdone visual love story and no solid plot” Cameron.
I totally agree on everything here.
The hardest thing in the world is to make clear a complicated concept.
This movie lacks a coherent story-line, and adds complexities to mask the sheer silliness of the whole thing. I’m amazed that this passes for ‘smart’ — which it is NOT. Nolan is called a “thinker”?! My God… what have we become, when we think this kind of crap and a bag of popcorn elevates us?
True, movies should entertain and/or spark reflection.
This said, even for sheer entertainment value, I couldn’t let go of the sloppy and lazy story. Thats why I had to leave before I started puking. I read the ending online, and I was happy I left, because I would have hung myself in the theater after seeing how little Nolan cared to offer a decent ending.
The first presence of the train in the common dream gave away that this was all DiCaprio’s main dream, since no other character imposed their own influence and fears on the level. The kids at the end have the same clothes and are in the same setting as always… so he’s still dreaming at the end. So why the ooohs and aaaahs… worse; the debates?!
The idea would have been great if the process obeyed to it’s own mythology — which it didn’t even try to do. (they needed the kick, but there’s no way they could have planned the timing of it. About the timing, the different level’s ‘timing’ would produce a slow-motion that your eyes wouldn’t see moving. I dunno how Nolan thought he’d get away with that… sad thing, he did to popular extent).
I don’t understand how this thing gets so many rave reviews!…
Look at what ‘sold’ the movie; the Paris folding city thing… and what pray tell has it to do with anything in the movie? Yep… close to nothing. It shows what Dicaprio can do in his dream, although he can’t get rid of the killers… Paris-Folding did nothing for him! Hahaha!
It’s very tricky to base a story on dreams… for one, you have almost no control on what you dream, and certainly none within. But if for the story, you give that control… you’d better have a coherent plan to make it believable… which is not the case here.
“And you know what? On the surface, I liked the film. It was engaging, fresh, creative, often gripping. You can read any review you’d like for more on the subject.”
HA. 🙂
If GC starred you’d be in 7th heaven