Inception
More Movies Please!
English - November 02, 2020 16:00 - 56 minutes - 38.6 MB - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsFilm Reviews TV & Film Arts Visual Arts conversation theater film filmmaking movies Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are going deep, deep, deep into our dreams in the 2010 film from Christopher Nolan, Inception.
What more can be said about this film that hasn’t already been said? I mean, it’s Inception for crying out loud! Say what you will about the various Nolan Batmens, this might be the one that really put him on the map. In fact, we should probably start designating world time as B.I. and A.I.: Before Inception and After Inception.
The world of this film is fascinating. It’s instantly recognizable, and yet it’s full of this future technology that allows people to slip into the dreams of others. It’s a testament to the writing prowess of Christopher Nolan that he’s able to construct this fantastic technology and make it seem like the most natural, obvious thing. With each new level these people travel to, the more we understand and believe this dream-sharing thing. By the end of it, we almost take it for granted.
I mean, hats off to Nolan for that one. Is it any wonder that he was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award? We think not.
We thought everything about this film was well done. It’s remarkable how adept Nolan is at being his own dream architect. We loved every performance given in this film. Seriously, there is no standout performance in it because they’re all standout performances. The cinematography is astounding; is it any wonder that D.P. Wally Pfister won an Oscar for this one? The soundscape is legendary and award-winning for a damn good reason. The visual effects are mind-blowing while also being completely believable…somehow. I mean, the city folding in on itself? How cool was that?
This film, as with any other film, may have its flaws—exposition much?—but none of them feel like they’re enough to turn this into a chore to get through, much less a bad film. Nah, this one always goes by in an engrossing flash, and it’s two and a half hours long! If you haven’t seen it in a while, and especially if you haven’t ever seen it, then treat yourself to a trip down the dream rabbit hole.
(Recorded on September 14, 2020)
Links to Stuff We Mentioned:
The Architecture of Inception infographic, by Rick Slusher - Fast Company
This is a beautiful and elegant visual explanation of the dream levels in the film. You owe it to yourself to check out this wonderful bit of graphic design, even if you already know how the dream levels work.
Inception Limited Edition Briefcase - Amazon
Blade Runner (Five Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) - Amazon