Inception is nominated for 8 best Oscars in the top categories. They are:
Best Picture
Best Original Screenplay
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Original Score
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
I’m not sure if this is a best picture winner. But after watching the film, I can see why it was nominated. I think it definitely earned the other 7 nominations. The special effects and the score are the stars of the film. Although the film is visually interesting, I’m sorry to say it is a tad boring in the first hour. The movie is close to 2 and half hours long. It’s has a great concept, but played out a little too slowly in the first hour. Dom Cobb, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his team are paid by a wealthy executive to infiltrate the dreams of a rival’s son to change the outcome of the father’s company.
The concept works best when the special effects take over. Otherwise, I think it’s an above average thriller with a lot of shooting and car chases. But add in the special effects in the dreams and you have really caught my attention. However, I was hoping for a little more of the special effects. Some are really pretty cool, like the weightless scenes.
The concept works best when the special effects take over. Otherwise, I think it’s an above average thriller with a lot of shooting and car chases. But add in the special effects in the dreams and you have really caught my attention. However, I was hoping for a little more of the special effects. Some are really pretty cool, like the weightless scenes.
The concept of a dream within a dream, within a dream is a bit mind boggling. I had to remind myself which dream segment they were in when the film did a jump from one piece of action to another between the levels of dreams. That’s actually what helped make the film more interesting and an above average thriller.
The score adds to the kick as it builds and builds in intensity. In stereo, you can really feel the intensity of the score. But don't get me wrong, it doesn’t take over the film, which happens in some movies. Instead it enriches the film and adds to the urgency. The score helps to add to the excitement of yet another car chase with guns blazing. After you've seen "The French Connection" or "Bullet", you've already seen the best car chase scenes on celluloid. Hans Zimmer earned the nomination for Best Original score. In this category, I also think it outdoes the score for “How to Train Your Dragon,” which I thought was very stirring and ‘vikingish’.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio and a cast chock full of well known actors. This is a film begging for that much needed best ensemble category a lot of us would like to see. Everyone is good together and several people have standout moments. I especially liked Ellen Page and Marion Cotillard, whose character is something of a focal point of the storyline. She plays Dom’s deceased wife who always enters his dreams and kills, pun intended, his plans on the big job. Marion is very good in the role and I can see why she won the Oscar for Best Actress in La Vie en Rose.
Michael Caine seemed wasted in this film however, as he was barely in the movie. I recently saw the movie “Harry Brown”, starring Mr. Caine and thought it was very good. He is not an actor who should be wasted in very small roles. I know, there are no small roles, only small actors. The actors are all good and make this film work, but Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page have very expressive faces and eyes, which convey a lot of feeling. They make their roles that much more interesting. Since Ellen is in most of the film, I found myself drawn to her character, watching her expressions and reactions to the activity around her. She’s growing as an actress and I like her more and more.
The ending, or last hour of the film is good enough to make up for the slow build of the beginning. As I once posted, a film that has a great ending is often worth sitting through the entire movie.
Rating - 4.5 stars
