American Daydreams

As I look back through the recent offerings that Hollywood has released in theaters, I find myself wondering, "Can't they come up with something more original?" I am aware that due to the economy and other fears and facets of the movie-making industry that the safe bet is to ride the 3-D wave while it's here and to put out as many secure sequels as possible. I get it. But that doesn't mean I have to like it. In fact, with the exception of Toy Story 3 (which I saw in 2D first), the 3D movies I've seen advertised just haven't seemed to be worthwhile endeavors for me. But all in all, I was in search of something new, something original, something creative that was able to stand on its own without so many extra gimmicks and bells and whistles—and I think INCEPTION did that.

Last night I decided to go to the midnight showing of Inception. Mostly because I was entirely anxious to see it, having read plot lines and script reviews online. Also for the sheer fun of going to a midnight showing! So I drank some coffee to stay awake before I headed out, stuffed my Twizzlers into my bag and headed out the door to experience Inception on the IMAX screen.

I must admit that part of the fun of going to the movies is the things you overhear in line and in the theater. Last night, as I was waiting in line, there were 3 guys on my right hand side talking about their girlfriends and how they don't really like them. One of the guys even said his girlfriend's name was "Anna 'Bail on James' Murphy," which made me turn my head and chuckle quietly. The two guys on my left side were MUCH funner anyway. One of the guys had missed a call earlier that day and was trying to guess who it was. "It's a 406 area code. I wonder if it's ______. Or maybe it's _____. Actually I bet it's ______ cause he said he'd be in _____" So I put my eavesdroppery to good use and looked up the area code on my phone.

"What's the area code?"

"Oh, it's 406."

"Ah. Okay. That's Montana."

"Montana! I knew it!"

After that, the guys both turned to me and began asking me what I was looking forward to in the movie. We all shared our relief that it wasn't in 3D and laughed so hard at different movie jokes from other failed 3D flicks.

We eventually were let into the theater and got to experience the summer blockbuster hit of ingenious proportions. It was so action packed and I fell completely in sync with the characters. I was so engulfed in what was happening to the team on the screen, holding my breath and freaking out at tense scenes. At one point, I turned my head and (no lie) every single person in my row was on the edge of their seats looking up, wondering what was going to happen next. With every twist and turn of the movie, I found myself trying to guess what would happen next, how things were all intertwined, who was good, who was bad, who was going to live, and who was going to die. There were so many things I loved about the movie. The imagination that went into each scene and the score that backed it up kept my hopes up that the movie-making industry might actually be returning to a state of originality and pure character driven masterpieces. I'm still holding out hope.

The actors in the movie did such an amazing job portraying each of their characters and had so much great chemistry that the dialogue and expressions conveyed totally added to the entire package as well. It was refreshing to me that others could see Ellen Page in her true versatile acting form, as opposed to the stereotypical role of JUNO that most identify her with. Joseph Gordon-Levitt completely blew me away in his role and the entire supporting cast was just perfect! And it doesn't really need to be said, but I'll say it anyway—Leonardo DiCaprio DID not disappoint! The intensity he brings to each character is wonderful and after seeing him in this movie, it's just a reassurance that he hasn't lost his touch.

The action scenes were intense but not overdone. I think my favorite part about it was that Christopher Nolan didn't feel that he NEEDED the movie to be made in 3D. It was complex, intriguing, and just a fun film to watch without extra bells and whistles. If I were to describe it, I would say it was a combination of The Dark Knight and The Prestige. Others have also mentioned that it exceeds the greatness of Memento—which is saying a lot.

I read this review earlier and it resonated with me:

He did not raise the bar. He took the bar and put it somewhere no one would ever, in their wildest dreams, think of finding it. . . .

Nolan’s exploration of the mysteries of the dream world is entrenched in truthful scientific research while offering a humanistic and philosophical take on how the dream is moved and how it can confuse or rearrange our individual realities. He also juggled multiple story lines, all supposedly progressing at different rates through time, without being the least bit confusing. . . .

But I think this Tumblr user pretty much hit the nail on the head when he said:

I will be INCREDIBLY surprised if the cast and crew of Inception doesn't sweep every upcoming award show they're nominated for! I highly recommend you go see this movie. It was worth every dollar I spent on it.

Even after the movie was over, the movie was not over. I got home, went straight to bed and (no lie) had an "Inception-style" dream. Leo DiCaprio was even in it and it was like I was still IN the movie. I felt like I woke up at least 20 times through the night, even though it was probably only 3—when my 1st alarm went off, when my 2nd alarm went off, and when my body finally woke up. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to fall right back asleep to see what would happen next.

Movie Trailer for Inception: