Rare Zombie Movies - 0 views

• 
  #1 Gil Hickey on 20 Sep 12

   

  With his point-man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who turns in a very steely performance), apprentice dream-builder Ariadne (Ellen Page), forger Eames (Tom Hardy) and chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao), Cobb sets about orchestrating an incredibly complex dreamscape comprised of three levels (or two dreams within dreams), in order to incept Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy), heir to an electrical power monopoly and Saito's competitor, with an idea so contrived that Fischer cannot trace its genesis. The setting is contemporary, though the dream machine is the stuff of science-fiction; the most oft repeated image is that of Cobb and his squad reclined in chairs, doped on the machine with tubes dangling from their arms like junkies. The crux of the physical action occurs in these dream states, but we also learn something of Cobb's dark past.
  
  Already Inception has inspired judicious debate[1] and perhaps this fact speaks to the power of a film structured as a constellation of referents, with multiple layers, each open to analysis and interpretation and sophistry. Amazing that a film like this was financed in the first place; for a directorial talent of Nolan's caliber to be afforded such freedom working within the studio system is rare indeed. Clearly Warner Brothers appreciated the golden egg he laid in the form of The Dark Knight. Say what you will about Chris Nolan. He's no Bergman or Fellini-in fact, such comparisons are moot for Nolan isn't neatly comparable nor indebted to those visionaries per se-and his films are not without their flaws, but still he possesses the ability to realize cinematic worlds like no other with consistency (stillborn as they may look compared to their written source). It says something about the miserable state of affairs in Hollywood that a film like this must be lauded on the face of it simply for being original. Amidst the endless adaptations, remakes and sequels populating our cinemas Inception is deserving of praise for being Nolan's personal vision alone.
  
  A great deal of critical grief has been aimed at the film's verbose second act, during which Nolan attempts to explain to the audience the rules of the game. At the very least this is the right kind of exposition-mechanics that are key to the film's structure-and not literal pablum for simple minds who need to have motivation and pathos spelled out. It may be easy to feel insulted by Ariadne's simplistic analogies to Dom's descriptions of dream architecture, but it's easier still to ignore them. While its verbiage may be disorienting, and certainly flawed, much of it is absolutely necessary to our understanding. Imagine the kind of delusional debates that would rage had Nolan not tried so hard to make us understand the import of 'kicks' and 'sedatives' and 'totems' and the impact of time logistics in different levels of the dream. In a film that is predicated on exploring, reconfiguring and reifying the dynamics of space-time, a logician's approach to its elements is warranted. Nolan does not, however, take the easy way out when it comes to his characters. There are some genuine cinematic moments for Cillian Murphy to take advantage of: the great revelation to his character in the final act is already known and expected by the audience, and yet Nolan cements it unexpectedly with visible tears, a photograph and a childhood memento. Rare Zombie Movies, Nolan's "Inception" A Rare Screen Epic, Nolan's "Inception" A Rare Screen Epic

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">With his point-man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who turns in a very steely performance), apprentice dream-builder Ariadne (Ellen Page), forger Eames (Tom Hardy) and chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao), Cobb sets about orchestrating an incredibly complex dreamscape comprised of three levels (or two dreams within dreams), in order to incept Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy), heir to an electrical power monopoly and Saito's competitor, with an idea so contrived that Fischer cannot trace its genesis. The setting is contemporary, though the dream machine is the stuff of science-fiction; the most oft repeated image is that of Cobb and his squad reclined in chairs, doped on the machine with tubes dangling from their arms like junkies. The crux of the physical action occurs in these dream states, but we also learn something of Cobb's dark past.<br /><br />Already <i>Inception</i> has inspired judicious debate[1] and perhaps this fact speaks to the power of a film structured as a constellation of referents, with multiple layers, each open to analysis and interpretation and sophistry. Amazing that a film like this was financed in the first place; for a directorial talent of Nolan's caliber to be afforded such freedom working within the studio system is rare indeed. Clearly Warner Brothers appreciated the golden egg he laid in the form of <i>The Dark Knight</i>. Say what you will about Chris Nolan. He's no Bergman or Fellini-in fact, such comparisons are moot for Nolan isn't neatly comparable nor indebted to those visionaries per se-and his films are not without their flaws, but still he possesses the ability to realize cinematic worlds like no other with consistency (stillborn as they may look compared to their written source). It says something about the miserable state of affairs in Hollywood that a film like this must be lauded on the face of it simply for being original. Amidst the endless adaptations, remakes and sequels populating our cinemas <i>Inception</i> is deserving of praise for being Nolan's personal vision <i>alone</i>.<br /><br />A great deal of critical grief has been aimed at the film's verbose second act, during which Nolan attempts to explain to the audience the rules of the game. At the very least this is the right kind of exposition-mechanics that are key to the film's structure-and not literal pablum for simple minds who need to have motivation and pathos spelled out. It may be easy to feel insulted by Ariadne's simplistic analogies to Dom's descriptions of dream architecture, but it's easier still to ignore them. While its verbiage may be disorienting, and certainly flawed, much of it is absolutely necessary to our understanding. Imagine the kind of delusional debates that would rage had Nolan not tried so hard to make us understand the import of 'kicks' and 'sedatives' and 'totems' and the impact of time logistics in different levels of the dream. In a film that is predicated on exploring, reconfiguring and reifying the dynamics of space-time, a logician's approach to its elements is warranted. Nolan does not, however, take the easy way out when it comes to his characters. There are some genuine cinematic moments for Cillian Murphy to take advantage of: the great revelation to his character in the final act is already known and expected by the audience, and yet Nolan cements it unexpectedly with visible tears, a photograph and a childhood memento. <a href="http://community.babycenter.com/journal/gilhickey821/6105475/nolans_inception_a_rare_screen_epic" rel="nofollow">Rare Zombie Movies</a>, <a href="http://gilhickey821.jigsy.com/entries/general/Nolan's-"Inception"-A-Rare-Screen-Epic" rel="nofollow">Nolan's "Inception" A Rare Screen Epic</a>, <a href="http://www.iamsport.org/search/?tag=rare+zombie+movies" rel="nofollow">Nolan's "Inception" A Rare Screen Epic</a></div>

  ...

  Cancel

To Top