Christopher Nolan

The Best Movies of 2010

/ / Top Tens & Lists

This wasn’t a year to wow you. 2010 may have been somewhat of an off year for movies, but there are several quality films that hit theaters this year which are worth noting. A couple things struck me as I was putting together this list. First, how actresses stepped up huge this year. Whether in lead or supporting roles, it was a year dominated by the performances of the fairer sex. And second, 2010 was a year of raw emotion, almost visceral, brought to screen. You might argue that one or two of my choices didn’t have elaborate plots, but each delivered on an emotional level.

…

The Best Movies of 2010Read More »

The Best Movies of 2010 Read More »

Inception still dreamy on DVD

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Inception
  • IMDB: link

“All that we see or seem,
Is but a dream within a dream.”
–Edgar Allen Poe

I thoroughly enjoyed Christopher Nolan‘s Inception in theaters earlier this year (read the review). His exploration of dreams within dreams and a journey of one tortured soul (Leonardo DiCaprio) to make his way home by implanting a single idea into the dream of a stranger (Cillian Murphy) resonates as well on DVD as it did on the big screen. Out next week on DVD and Blu-ray it’s a great addition to your library.

The one-disc DVD is a little scant on extras (to put it midly). It does contain four short featurettes (averaging three minutes a piece) which include snippets from Nolan, DiCaprio, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, editor Lee Smith, cinamatopraher Wally Pfister, and stunt coordinator Tom Struthers, examining the aspect of dreams and the possibilities of the human mind, the japanese castle sequence, the paradoxical pemrose stairs, and the freight train barreling down the the middle of a busy street. Each of these is quite good but not quite enough to satisfy.

…

Inception still dreamy on DVDRead More »

Inception still dreamy on DVD Read More »

Inception

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Inception
  • IMDB: link

The latest from writer/director Christopher Nolan is complicated, reality bending, multi-layered look inside the world of unconscious imagination. In the near future the ability to enter into an individual’s dreams and extract information has become a profitable, but highly illegal, enterprise. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Dom Cobb the leader of a group of experts who are the best at this type of information extraction.

As Cobb’s past catches up with him, both in the real world and that of his dreams, he’s offered a single chance to reclaim the life which was taken from him if he can perform the impossible: Inception. The idea is not to steal information from the latest subject, the heir to a business empire (Cillian Murphy), but instead implant an idea in his mind which will grow naturally and change one choice in the real world which could mean billions for Cobb’s client.

…

InceptionRead More »

Inception Read More »

A Better Batman

/ / Movie Reviews, Theme Week
  • Title: The Dark Knight
  • IMDB: link

“Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Christian Bale returns to the role of Bruce Wayne, and his pointy-eared alter-ego Batman.  The sequel takes place months after the end of Batman Begins.  Batman and Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) have been busy squeezing the Gotham mob, and with the help of the golden-haired District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), they hope to make real changes in Gotham.

However, there’s a new player in town.  A psychotic mystery man named the Joker (Heath Ledger) who, after robbing them blind, offers his services to Gotham’s crime families to kill the Batman.

There’s so much to discuss.  And I haven’t even mentioned the love triangle between Bruce, Harvey and Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over the role Katie Holmes played in Batman Begins) or the in-fighting among the mob, or the cops on the take.  Whew!  The film is a bit long at 152 minutes, however it’s also chocked-full of plot; there’s barely a wasted moment.  This is the Batman movie fans have been clamouring for.  I’m betting good money that more than one fanboy will wet himself.

…

A Better BatmanRead More »

A Better Batman Read More »