Monday, July 19, 2010

Inception

After Titanic, I took a strong moral stance against Leonardo diCapiro. Surrounded by thousands of drowning freezing, screaming, struggling men, women and children, the old broad and the director and the audience remember only the supremacy of her love (even the beloved is disposable). The movie is a monument to the narcissism of romantic love. Titanic put me off of diCapiro.

Having seen the trailers of Revolutionary Road, I knew to avoid the story of a self-absorbed, wannabe artist who had to find his way to Paris to realize his full potential (Talk about advertising. Read some Stevens, Faulkner, McCarthy, and Cisneros, guy.)

Of course, Blood Diamond and The Departed drew me back--cautiously. I was surprised, but unconvinced. In my mind, DiCapiro was still a pretty boy tied to Hollywood romantic propaganda.

This weekend, the wife and kids drug me into Inception. We arrived early, giving me plenty of time to question my decision. The hot dog my wife bribed me with held me over to the start of the movie. Once it began, I stopped wondering.

Nolan has created a beautifully demanding masterpiece. A tight, complex narrative. Stunning imagery integral to the storyline. A tortured, broken protagonist uncertain of where to keep his past. And as much as I hate to admit it--spot on casting. DiCapiro was perfect.

Stand in line if you have to. This one is worth seeing.

3 comments:

Robert said...

I still don't think I have a desire to watch it. Everyone keeps telling me how good it is. I'm not sure I need to watch an evil version of Nightmask.

Unknown said...

Is it that or you don't like watching people who look like you?

Robert said...

I like Leo DiCaprio movies for the most part. I've even forgiven him for The Titanic. It's nice to see what I might look like if I lost 70 lbs.