Sunday, March 20, 2011

Top 10 Films Released in 2010 #2

2. Inception

Honestly, I don't know what I can say about this film that hasn't already been said. I'm going to try to avoid any spoilers or even give too much away as far as the 'mystery' surrounding the film is concerned. I'll try to stick to the technical aspects and the like. However, As far as the narrative goes, the thing that truly keeps this film from being a run of the mill sci-fi adventure a la surogates or the upcoming limitless is the relationship between Cobb (di Caprio) and Mal(Marion Cotillard). It's strained and ultimately unreal, but witnessing the pain he feels when he sees her and the desperation in her eyes in two or three choice scenes really gives the film an emotional anchor which adds the depth other sci-fi thrillers are missing.

Technically speaking, this film is THE BEST of 2010. Wally Pfister's cinematography, Lee Smith's editing (flabergastingly snubbed of an oscar nomination), and the sound and production designs are nearly flawless. As well, the visual effects are top notch, endlessly exciting, and always feel real. One thing i truly enjoyed about this film is that it was not film, covered, nor did it really need to rely upon the inclusion of 3d. The stunt crew really deserve some props as well because they were Awesome. I wish I could say it more eloquently, but come on...

Although acting wise it was not the strongest of the year, the cast was still incredibly solid. The standout for me was the always near perfect Marion Cotillard who basically acted circles around the rest of the cast in her small but poignant (and devious) performance. DiCaprio is as the rottentomatoes show called it "on autopilot, it's a perfectly capable autopilot, but nothing special" or thereabouts. it's not a direct quote, but the sentiment is there. The remainder of the cast did a decent job, especially the breakthrough Tom Hardy as the suave brittish Eames.

Another standout from the film besides it's exceptional screenplay and visuals was the addition of Hans Zimmers intense pounding score which powerfully evokes the song of inspiration: Edith Piaf's "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien".

This may be Chris Nolan's masterpiece, and I(like many others) am excited to see what this soon to be "Master Director" has in store.

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