Film Ratings (A-D)

Currently in the process of rating all the films I have seen to date. Here is A-D with a rating between 1/2 and *****

Accatone (****)
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (***)
Adaptation (*****)
Adventures of Robin Hood, The (****1/2)
African Queen, The (****)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (****1/2)
Air Bud (**1/2)
Air Force One (***)
Airplane (****)
Air Up There, The (**)
Aladdin (****1/2)
Alexander (*)
Alice in Wonderland (**)
Alien (****1/2)
Alien Resurrection (**1/2)
Aliens (*****)
Alien3 (**)
Alien vs. Predator (*1/2)
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (1/2)
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (***)
Ali G Indahouse (**1/2)
All About Steve (*)
All Quiet on the Western Front (****)
Almost Famous (****)
Amelie (*****)
American Beauty (*****)
American Gangster (****)
American History X (****)
American Pie (***)
American Pie 2 (**)
American Psycho (****1/2)
American Splendor (****)
American Werewolf in London (****1/2)
America's Sweethearts (**1/2)
Amores Perros (****)
Anaconda (*)
Anchorman (****)
Angels and Demons (**1/2)
Animal Factory (***)
Animal Farm (****)
Annie Hall (****1/2)
Antichrist (****1/2)
Antitrust (***)
Antwone Fisher (***)
ANTZ (****)
Any Given Sunday (****)
Apartment, The (*****)
Apocalypse Now (*****)
Apocalypto (*1/2)
Ararat (****)
Armageddon (*)
Army of Darkness (***1/2)
Art of War, The (**)
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The (****)
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (***)
Austin Powers: The Spy who Shagged Me (**1/2)
Avatar (****)

Babe (****)
Babe: Pig in the City (*1/2)
Baby Geniuses (1/2)
Back to the Future (****1/2)
Back to the Future Part II (***)
Back to the Future Part III (****)
Bad Boys (**)
Bad Education (***)
Bad Santa (***1/2)
Basic Instinct (****)
Batman (1989) (****)
Batman Begins (****)
Battleship Potemkin (*****)
Beach, The (**)
Beautiful Mind, A (****)
Beau Travail (***)
Beauty and the Beast (****)
Be Cool (***)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (****1/2)
Being John Malkovich (****1/2)
Be Kind Rewind (**)
Bend it Like Beckham (**)
Ben Hur (****1/2)
Bicycle Thief, The (*****)
Big Lebowski, The (****1/2)
Big Sleep (****1/2)
Billy Elliot (***1/2)
Billy Madison (**)
Birdcage, The (***)
Birds, The (****)
Birth of a Nation (****1/2)
Black Hawk Down (***)
Black Snake Moan (**)
Blade (**1/2)
Blade Runner (*****)
Blades of Glory (***)
Blair Witch Project, The (****)
Blazing Saddles (***)
Blindness (***1/2)
Blind Side, The (**)
Blood Diamond (****)
Blood Simple (***1/2)
Blood Work (**)
Blue (Three Colors) (***)
Blue Angel, The (***1/2)
Blue Velvet (*****)
Body Heat (****)
Bogus (**)
Bone Collector, The (**1/2)
Bonnie and Clyde (***)
Boogie Nights (****)
Boondock Saints (**1/2)
Borat (****)
Born on the Fourth of July (****)
Bound (***)
Bourne Identity, The (****)
Bourne Supremacy, The (****)
Bourne Ultimatum, The (****1/2)
Bowling for Columbine (****)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (***)
Braveheart (***1/2)
Brazil (****)
Bridge on the River Kwai, The (****)
Bridget Jones' Diary (**)
Bridge to Terabithia (**)
Brokeback Mountain (****1/2)
Broken Arrow (**)
Broken Flowers (****)
Brotherhood of the Wolf (***)
Bruce Almighty (**)
Bruno (*)
Bucket List, The (*)
Buffalo Soldiers (***)
Bug's Life, A (***1/2)
Bullitt (****)
Burn After Reading (***1/2)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (*****)
Butterfly Effect, The (*)

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, The (****)
Cabin Fever (***1/2)
Cache (****1/2)
Candyman (***)
Capote (****)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (**)
Carlito's Way (***)
Casablanca (*****)
Casino (**)
Casino Royale (****)
Castle, The (****)
Catch me if you Can (***1/2)
Cats and Dogs (*1/2)
Chamber, The (**)
Changeling (****)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (***)
Charlie's Angels (**)
Charlie Wilson's War (***1/2)
Children of Men (*****)
Chinatown (****1/2)
Chocolat (****)
Chopper (****)
Christmas Carol, A (1951) (****)
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (**1/2)
Chungking Express (****1/2)
Cider House Rules, The (***)
Citizen Kane (*****)
City of God (*****)
Civil Action, A (***1/2)
Clash of the Titans (***)
Clerks (****)
Click (*)
Client, The (***)
Clockwork Orange, A (****1/2)
Closer (***1/2)
Cloverfield (***)
Club Dread (*)
Coach Carter (***)
Collateral (***1/2)
Collateral Damage (**)
Coming to America (****)
Con Air (***)
Conformist, The (*****)
Constant Gardener, The (****)
Constantine (*)
Control (****1/2)
Conversation, The (****1/2)
Cool Runnings (****)
Cop Out (*1/2)
Coraline (****)
Courage Under Fire (***)
Cradle 2 the Grave (*1/2)
Crash (****)
Cries and Whispers (****)
Crimson Tide (***)
Crocodile Dundee (***)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (****1/2)
Crow, The (***)
Crucible, The (***1/2)
Cruel Intentions (**1/2)
Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The (****)

Dancer in the Dark (****)
Daredevil (*)
Darjeeling Limited, The (****1/2)
Dark City (****)
Dark Knight, The (****)
Date Night (**)
DaVinci Code, The (**1/2)
Dawn of the Dead (1978) (****1/2)
Dawn of the Dead (2004) (****)
Day After Tomorrow, The (**1/2)
Daybreakers (***)
Dead Man (*****)
Dead Man's Shoes (****1/2)
Dead Man Walking (***1/2)
Dead Snow (**)
Death at a Funeral (****)
Death on the Nile (****)
Deep Blue Sea (**1/2)
Deer Hunter, The (****1/2)
Deja Vu (**)
Delicatessen (****)
Deliverance (*****)
Departed, The (*****)
Descent, The (***1/2)
Desperado (**)
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (**)
Devil's Rejects, The (****)
Diamonds are Forever (****)
Die Another Day (***)
Die Hard (****1/2)
Dirty Dozen, The (****)
Dirty Harry (****1/2)
Dish, The (****)
Disney's A Christmas Carol (**)
District 9 (****1/2)
Disturbia (**)
Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The (****1/2)
Doctor Doolittle (**1/2)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (***)
Dogma (***1/2)
Dogville (***1/2)
Domestic Disturbance (**)
Donnie Brasco (****)
Donnie Darko (****)
Don't Look Now (****1/2)
Doors, The (****)
Do the Right Thing (****1/2)
Double Indemnity (*****)
Doubt (****)
Downfall (****1/2)
Drag me to Hell (*)
Dreamers, The (***)
Dr Strangelove (*****)
Dude Where's My Car (1/2)
Dumb and Dumber (***)
Dunston Check's In (**)

Review: The Kids Are All Right (Lisa Cholodenko, 2010)

Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right was one of the most talked about films following the 2010 Sydney Film Festival, premiering in Australia on closing night. After a few advanced screenings last week, it officially opens in Australian cinemas today. I feel that it is the most honest and heartwarming comedy/drama of the year and will likely be a serious Oscar contender come March 2011. The Kids are All Right is the story of two modern children, 18 year-old Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and 15 year-old Laser (Josh Hutcherson). They are the children of Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), a happily partnered lesbian couple. They each gave birth to their children using an anonymous sperm donor. When Laser is intrigued about his biological father, he insists that Joni call the sperm office and arrange a meeting with their donor, revealed to be single restaurant-owner Paul (Mark Ruffalo).

Joni is bright and talented and has just been accepted into college, while Laser has drifted in with the wrong crowd causing Nic and Jules to worry about his priorities. They meet Paul and are immediately charmed by his charisma and easy-going persona. Paul also expresses genuine interest in them and their futures. To the concern of their mothers, they begin to spend a lot of time with him. The peaceful family dynamic Nic and Jules have established begins to break down immediately. Nic is stressed about her work and her role as the primary financial contributor, while Jules, who has just opened a business as a landscape architect, begins to work for Paul. As a result Nic loses touch with both Jules and her children, who are now absorbed into Paul's life, and begins to drink heavily. The familial breakdown is heartbreaking, and while Paul is essentially at fault, it remains hard to dislike such a stand-up guy.

The script is beautifully crafted, the characters actually feel human and the up-and-down central relationship between Nic and Jules is brutally honest. All the performances are outstanding, especially Annette Bening (who should receive an Oscar nomination). Juliane Moore and Mia Wasikowska are also fantastic. Mark Ruffalo, long one of my favorite actors, is brilliant again, and I haven't seen a better support performance this year either, so expect a nomination for Mr Ruffalo too. It is a complex and heartbreaking family drama that touches on the most honest elements of humanity and modern family ties. Lisa Cholodenko has drawn some fantastic performances out of her cast transforming them into regular people we feel like we know. The subtle characteristics and mannerisms of each character is really recognized, and i think you will find it hard to be void of a connection to at least one of the characters. The dialogue exchanges are pitch-perfect and the awkward sequences throughout are often quite hilarious. This is one of the best films of the year. I really can't say enough. A must see!

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Review: Four Lions (Chris Morris, 2010)

Chris Morris' debut film Four Lions is exactly as the promotional poster suggests. It is 'funny' and outrageously so. Set in Sheffield, this Jihad satire tells the story of four disillusioned young Muslim men with dreams of becoming radicalized suicide bombers. Omar (Riz Ahmed) is growing more outraged by the treatment of Muslims around the world and concocts a plan to send a message. He is the brains behind the unit and spends much of the film 'cleaning up the shit' caused by his idiotic colleagues. The rest of the group are Waj (Kayvan Novak) a simpleton who accompanies Omar to a terrorist 'training camp' in Pakistan, Barry (Nigel Lindsay), a volatile and outspoken Islam convert who wrestles Omar in a power struggle which often results in the plans ending in embarrassing destruction, and Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), a bumbling klutz who very often hinders their operation due to his complete incompetency.

Omar and Waj travel to Pakistan to enhance their skills, while back in Sheffield, Barry welcomes Hassan (Arsher Ali) to the group following his demonstration at a press conference. They assemble the materials to concoct their explosives, and shelter at an apartment. After some unsuccessful trial bombings (one which results in the death of Faisal), the group decides to strap explosives to themselves and bomb four sites along the route of the London marathon. The film's final twenty minutes culminates at the marathon with the group battling their own incompetence, their outrageous costumes and the local law enforcement, in a final effort to fulfill their heroic duty for Jihad.

The script is riddled with witty, sharp black comedy while most of the exchanges of dialogue between the group includes volatile verbal bickering and a series of inventive insults. Nearly every exchange features a memorable line. The physical comedy too, is hilarious. But none more so than the concluding sequences as the separated members of the group sprint in their costumes through the streets of London to evade the pursuing counter-terrorists. Even each of their deaths is in darkly comic fashion leaving you feeling both the urge to gasp in shock and laugh out loud. Morris' direction is effortlessly assured, each performance is pitch-perfect, and the dynamic hand-held style captures give the events a sense of innovative realism. Four Lions is one of the funniest films I have seen in the last few years, and after a great response at the Sydney Film Festival, it is destined to have a wide release and lengthy run.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Short Review: Pi (Darren Aronofsky, 1998)

Darren Aronofsky's debut film from 1998 is a deeply disturbing torture of the senses. It tells the twisted story of a troubled mathematics genius, who suffers from migraines and serious bouts of panic attacks, who is attempting to understand the nature of the world through numbers. Locked away in his apartment, he peruses over number combinations to determine trends in the stock market and he frequently visits his retired mathematics tutor for guidance. Through his malfunctioning computer system he stumbles across a 216 digit number and becomes hunted by obsessed Wall Street executives who believe he possesses the secret to predicting the stock market, and a colt of rabbis who believe the true name of God can be found within the numbers. Shot on a shoestring budget with predominantly hand-held cameras, and with grainy, black + while cinematography, it's gritty, unpleasant viewing. But absorbing and riveting nonetheless. The pulsing, electronic score works brilliantly and Sean Gullette's central performance is very impressive. Pi feels like a sequel to David Lynch's Eraserhead, filled with striking surreal locations and images of haunting human breakdown. This is a superb debut, that really shot Aronofsky onto the scene. He followed up Pi with Requiem for a Dream (2000), and is now on of the most innovative of modern directors.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Review: The Ghost Writer (Roman Polanski, 2010)

The Ghost Writer is only Roman Polanski's second, and potentially final project since his Oscar victory for The Pianist back in 2002. Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams and Kim Cattrall, The Ghost Writer premiered at the 60th Berlin Film Festival, where Polanski picked up the Silver Bear for his excellent direction. Based on the novel, The Ghost by Thomas Harris, it drew some attention at this years Sydney Film Festival and has been praised with positive reviews. A very taut thriller, it follows an unnamed British ghost writer (Ewan McGregor) hired to complete the memoirs of former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan). Lang has recently been publicly disgraced by a former colleague who has accused Lang of severe war crimes, notably the illegal transfer of suspected terrorists to the C.I.A. Lang is set to face prosecution at the hands of the International Criminal Court. This controversy attracts both supporters and enemies of his crimes, and a large media hub, who settle outside his residence. The writer joins Lang and his wife Ruth (Olivia Williams) at their beach-side penthouse. He is briefed of the protocol surrounding the former Prime Minister by Lang's personal assistant, Amelia (Kim Cattrall) and given access to the notes and semi-completed manuscript to be edited into the memoirs. What is curious about his role is that his predecessor was found washed up on the beach. Confirmed originally as suicide, the death is later revealed to be under suspicious circumstances. He begins to interview Lang on his early college days to try and establish a way to start the memoirs. Lang, stressed by the allegations against his name, is sensitive of how he will be presented. As our protagonist digs deeper, intrigued by what his predecessor had found, he begins to unravel a plot that links either Lang, or his wife to C.I.A contacts, through college friend and now Harvard Professor Paul Emmett (Tom Wilkinson, in a great support performance).
The screenplay is a collaboration between Harris and Polanski, and is well constructed. Engulfing McGregor's character with controversy on all sides, it's early sequences are slow but purposeful. We are revealed to the protagonist's egoism and confidence in his abilities as a writer, but also his naivety in accepting such a troubled project. The first conversations between him and Lang work well to establish a professional bond and an unspoken trust between the men. While it seems that Lang is certainly hiding the truth behind his accusations, the outspokenness of his wife, her control over her husband and her possible role in his crimes is also intriguing. Throughout the second half of the film the pace and tension increases and it becomes a very absorbing thriller with some surprising twists. The chilling conclusion is a scathing assessment of political scandal, with all of the truths just blowing away to be forever forgotten.
McGregor is well cast in the title role. His performance is nothing spectacular but he successfully carries the narrative and is a likable protagonist. Brosnan, in an attempt to escape his image as 007, is also solid in a vulnerable role. I liked Olivia Williams' performance. I thought her maliciousness and deceitfulness were quite convincing. The films main weakness is Kim Cattrall, who i thought was awful. Her sultry, slutty qualities that are important to her character in Sex and the City continued to crack through her attempts to play a serious, professional woman. The Ghost Writer has all the conventions of a typical thriller, but blessed with the skilled wand of a man who really knows how to direct a thriller. It's far from chilling, but it is consistently suspenseful and intriguing. Alexandre Desplat's odd score is a mixture of ominous suspense-laden orchestral pieces with an undercurrent of electronic pop that i thought worked quite well. The shooting locations were also a character in themselves. The mansion, which in most cases appears as a ghostly, empty cell, is located on an island to signify McGregor's isolation amongst his shady employers. The climate was considerably overcast, often extremely windy and generally icy throughout the film complementing the scandals that drive the film. Again, this is one of the better releases so far in 2010 and while I don't see it challenging in the Oscar race this year, I think it is worth checking out.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Short Review: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Edgar Wright, 2010)

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is wild, hyperactive and pure entertainment. The newest film by Edgar Wright (dir. of Shawn of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), is an inventive visual feast. This is a 'get-the-girl' teen comedy/drama set within the world of Street Fighter. When he meets the girl of his dreams, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) must face and defeat seven of her exes to win her love. Emotionally it hits all the right buttons, it's awkward humor is subtle and amusing, and the fight sequences visceral and brilliant. The film begins to lose it's direction following the fourth ex, with the rock battle against the twins a convenient way of eliminating two more. Jason Schwarzman is always solid, and his turn as Scott Pilgrim's strongest opponent is amusing. Following the aforementioned setback, the conclusion is quite clever. Wright's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels is a hodgepodge of dynamics and genre, but no one has proven to be more successful. Some of the sequences actually look like they are filmed comic illustrations. Good fun and worthy of a repeat viewing, this is one of the more entertaining films released in 2010.

My Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Short Reviews: The Prestige (2006), The Dark Knight (2008)

The Prestige (Christopher Nolan, 2006)

I found the confusion experienced by The Prestige at first an intriguing mystery, but ultimately an unnecessary deterrent from its value as an entertaining film. This is quite a morbid film about fierce rivalry and personal obsession told via flashback and using techniques of misdirection. Christopher Nolan's film tries to replicate the subject of its narrative, existing itself as a magic trick, utilizing, via special effects, an ability to replicate his leads. The mystery is how the characters achieve the same means within the film. Both Borden (Bale) and Angier (Jackman) are quite well developed and it is their respective approaches to their craft that provide the quite obvious reveals, despite all of Nolan's misdirections. I believe The Prestige is far too long, and a case of being 'too clever for its own good.' It takes a very long time to stick to an idea, rather than just recounting their rivalry. Bale and Jackman are both solid but unspectacular, presenting a pretty unlikable pair of rivals. Michael Caine is always great, and David Bowie was impressive but Scarlett Johansson was flat out awful. In my opinion, this is the weakest of Nolan's features to date.

My Rating: 3 Stars

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

The Dark Knight, surrounded by so much hype and the tragic death of the films' star Heath Ledger, answered the challenge better than most films in 2008. Originally I was blown away, but my opinions of the film have diminished on subsequent viewings and the flaws in the narrative have become very obvious. Technically it remains a fine achievement, but it stands only as a solid sequel to the more impressive Batman Begins (2005). The Dark Knight doesn't just sit as a superhero film but of a dark urban crime thriller drawing issues of terrorism and anarchy, a criminal underworld, and the blurred lines of what people perceive to be a heroic figure. Many of the key cast members have returned, and are once again excellent. But i don't remember Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance being so awful. With really little to do in this one, Christian Bale returns as the conflicted persona of Bruce Wayne, challenged on all sides by a diminished public popularity, copycats, and unrelentless taunting from his newest adversary, known as The Joker (played astonishingly by Heath Ledger). The Joker is a disfigured, twisted character who seeks to dominate Gotham City with anarchic behavior and leave it in ruin out of pure evil. Batman, with the aid of Gordon (Gary Oldman, always superb) raise new DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to the status of Gotham's heroic figure, or white knight, a face that Gotham can turn to in this time of unrest and chaos. It's a well conceived plot that never lets up the intensity, but is let down by moments of unbelievable convenience and frequent wallows into cliche. The action scenes are truly spectacular, and the best moments of the film are owned by The Joker. On repeat viewings, the film feels far too long, with many of the sequences unnecessary. Yet Harvey's transformation into Two Face seemed ridiculously rushed and the Joker's capture at the conclusion disappointingly swift. Heath Ledger's performance will forever be remembered, and despite the growing list of issues, The Dark Knight is still one of the better film releases of 2008.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Review: Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)

"Reality" is a relative concept in Christopher Nolan's Inception.
 
Inception is the film that avid film buffs have been waiting for; a film to remember 2010 by. As one, I have been bitterly disappointed and frustrated by the consistent flow of poor quality, underachieving blockbusters released by Hollywood so far this year. In a business that is now dominated by franchises (although Toy Story 3 was exceptional), it is always refreshing to see a wholly original idea that actually respects the intelligence of its audience. With the exception of Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island (which was similarly complex and thought-provoking) and Pixar's latest master work Toy Story 3, 2010 thus far has been a very disappointing year for film.

Inception's success at the box office is not a surprise when we recognize the success of Christopher Nolan's previous film, The Dark Knight (2008). The truth is, Nolan is yet to make a bad film (though in my opinion The Prestige is his weakest) and following the critical success of The Dark Knight and a series of intriguing trailers, Inception promised to be even better. It stands as Nolan's masterpiece, a stunningly complex work of artistic genius and one of the finest films of the last decade of cinema.

To fully grasp the concepts that concisely define the plot of Inception it will likely take more than a single viewing, but some definitions are obvious upon the first viewing. This is the work of a man dedicated to his craft and driven by perfection. Having ironed out the faults that have plagued his earlier films, most notably the 'too-smart-for its-own-good' premise of The Prestige (2006), and the wallow into cliche during the concluding third of The Dark Knight, Inception avoids even such minor negatives. The screenplay itself should warrant another Oscar nomination for Nolan, but technically, it is also near flawless. I have heard the film described as The Matrix meeting 007, and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind meets Jason Bourne, but really it is incomparable. Many of the sequences are filmed like a dream, featuring a vibrant otherworldly luminosity, and works to create that subtle confusion between what is a dream and what is reality.

Cobb, when he is explaining the concept of dreaming to Ariadne, recognizes that humans barely remember how their dreams begin, but are just immersed in the world. The film begins this way, with Cobb washed up on a beach, captured and dragged into a dining room where an elderly gentleman sits with his back to the camera. We do not know how he arrived here, and seemingly nor does Cobb. The film then jumps to what appears to be another dream sequence, which shows Cobb working an extraction mission. The origins are revealed later, but the way the scene is lit also hints at a dream. Many of the sequences in the film begin like this, but as we become wise to the mission and the processes of extraction and inception throughout the film, we begin to think we can differentiate between what we perceive to be reality and dream, and I think Nolan does a fantastic job in making that process relatively simple for the audience. Of course, much of what we perceive during the film is left open to personal interpretation, which is also Nolan's intention. Many of the strange feelings that accompany dreams are examined in Inception, such as the seemingly infinite extension of time during dreaming and that feeling of free-falling that often jolts us awake.

The plot revolves around Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a man who is hired to enter the subconscious dream-state of wealthy corporate businessmen and extract information when the mind is at its most vulnerable, that ultimately reveals their ideas to rivals, who then pay accordingly for the information. As a result of this work, Cobb has been exiled from the United States, both for his illegal thieving, and also under suspicion that he was directly involved with the death of his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), who committed suicide after falsely believing she was still living a dream, requiring to kill herself in order to wake up. Cobb seeks to be reunited with his children back home, who are under the watch of his father-in-law (Michael Caine). As I discussed earlier, the film opens with Cobb and his partner Arthur (Joesph Gordon-Levitt) trying to extract information from a powerful business mogul Mr Saito (Ken Watanabe). Cobb poses as the leader of Saito's subconscious security to aid him in a defense against the most skilled extractors who may want to access Saito's secrets. Saito considers their proposal and leaves the room, which prompts Arthur to believe that he is aware of their plot.

Cobb breaks into the safe and steals the documents, but his projection of Mal, who knows how to navigate his subconscious and sabotage his missions, interrupts by revealing the plot to Saito and shoots and awakens Arthur. The dream begins to collapse and Cobb awakens to join the others in a safe house hidden from an angry mob that threatens their position. Saito recognizes that they are all still dreaming when he discovers that the carpet in this room is made of a different material to the real one. Recognizing the mission failure, Cobb, Arthur and Nash (the architect for the mission) wake on the train where the plot is staged and decide to depart separately. They are soon approached again by Saito, who reveals that he had been aware of their attempt to steal his secrets and that it had been an audition for possible future work together. If Cobb could assemble a team capable of a successful inception (the planting of an idea into the subconscious of a target as opposed to theft), Cobb is promised freedom from his exile and any charges to his name revoked.

He assembles a team of experts, including himself and Arthur, Ariadne (Ellen Page) as the architect of the dream world, Eames (Tom Hardy) as the forger capable of shifting identities within the dream state, and Yusuf (Dileep Rao) as the chemist who creates the powerful sedatives capable of allowing the team to share and operate in multiple levels of dreaming. The target is Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), the son of the dying rival of Saito, Maurice Fischer (Pete Postlewaithe). With the ownership of the company to be soon left solely to Robert, the team's assignment is to plant the idea in his head to dismantle his father's monopoly that threatens to run Saito out of business. On a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles, the team joins Fischer as he accompanies the body of his father home and through the injection of a strong sedative concocted by Yusuf, make him the subject of a shared dream.

Yusuf hosts the first dream, which is a rainy inner city district. After abducting Fischer, the team is attacked by endless patrols of armed mercenaries, which function as a militarized subconscious acting as antibodies to destroy the invasion of the team and foreign idea they intend to plant. To enable the team to successfully complete the inception and leave the dream space, a 'kick' (or a feeling of free-falling) within the embedded dream must be staged to return the team to the previous dream level and ultimately reality. Normally, killing a member of the team within the dream would allow them to awake, but solely for this mission will result in their isolation into limbo, unable to differentiate between what is a dream and what is reality. Once the team discovers that the former method is in place, conflict ensues and consensus is to abort the mission immediately.

Eames assumes the role of Peter Browning (played by Tom Berenger), Maurice Fischer's closest adviser and Godfather to Robert, to cloud Browning's motives in Fischer's subconscious. Browning reveals that Maurice had left a will for his son in the safe in his office instructing that he dismantle the company, and that the combination should exist in his subconscious, he just isn't aware of it yet. The interrogation is interrupted by the mercenaries. Yusuf drives the team through the city in a white van, battling the slick roads and pursuing mercenaries, allowing the team the time to inject themselves with the sedatives and move into the next dream state, a classy hotel hosted by Arthur. In this state Cobb adopts the role of Mr Charles, who poses as the head of Fischer's subconscious security, making Fischer aware of the strangeness of his 'reality' and conning him into assisting him with the defense against his own subconscious. They force Fischer to believe that he has been kidnapped and is traveling in a van, a plan orchestrated by Browning. They suggest they go deeper into Browning's subconscious to find out his motives with the learning the combination and taking control of the company.

Inside of a hotel room, the team enters the next dream sequence (in fact the next level of Fischer's subconscious). This is a snowy mountain hospital facility that Fischer must infiltrate to reveal the embedded idea. Fisher works with Saito to infiltrate the facility, while Eames distracts the seemingly infinite attacking mercenaries. Saito dies of his injuries experienced in the first dream level, and Fischer is shot and killed by Mal, who once again sabotages the mission. Ariadne and Cobb follow Fischer into limbo in an attempt to kick him back to the facility to ensure the successful inception. Eames remains behind and scatters charges for the final kick. In limbo they find Mal who tries to convince Cobb to stay with her by taunting him about his perception of reality, and that she is the only thing that is real. Ariadne kicks back Fischer, who awakens and opens the vault to find his father dying in a bed. He concludes that his father would be disappointed if he turned into him, and decides to dismantle the empire. In limbo, Cobb decides to remain and search for Saito to bring him back, and misses the kick. Eames blows the charges causing the facility to be destroyed, while Arthur (in zero gravity) has moved all his colleagues into a lift and places charges that cause the lift to rise from the impact, while the van, which has been free falling from the bridge, finally hits the water. The activity within the different dream levels is masterfully edited together and the extension of time present in the lower dream levels is fused together to create cohesive linearity. The trio of kicks causes all of the team to awaken on the plane.

The conclusion is intentionally ambiguous. Cobb tracks down Saito, who is incredibly old, to remind him that he is stuck in Limbo and that his perceived reality is in fact a dream. Saito remembers their agreement, and recognizes the top found on Cobb. It is assumed that Saito shoots them both, and with the timer now ended and the sedative worn off, this causes them to wake back in reality on the plane. Saito calls his customs contact and Cobb is allowed to enter the United States, where he is greeted by his father-in-law and taken home to see his children. But if Saito shoots just himself, then Limbo would be solely in control of Cobb. Remaining in this dream state, his world could be transformed into his perfect reality, free of pursuit from the authority and granted freedom to see his children. This is confirmed if the top keeps spinning at the conclusion, while it signifies reality if it topples. This is left completely to the audience to decide, but i establish it is the former theory.

Another somewhat plausible theory is that the entire film is a dream, and that Cobb is attempting to perform inception on himself while in one of the dream dens revealed by Yusuf. The entire film is a plot to free himself of the guilt he feels because of the death of his wife, and to be able to see the faces of his children again, he creates a scenario that requires him to control and alter his subconscious. The team are his projections assigned to assist him with his personal inception. One of the most interesting theories, and I'm not sure if this was Nolan's intention, is the idea that the film is about the film making process itself and that each of the characters represents a piece of the puzzle. For example, Saito is the studio funding the project, Cobb is the leader and the director, Ariadne is the architect and the screenwriter and Eames is the actor within.

The cast is brilliantly assembled, and features some striking performances. Leo is as solid as always as his performance effortlessly balances a figure capable of confident leadership but clouded by a heartbreaking emotional vulnerability at his core. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page are two of the best young stars in the business and their diverse skills shine through here. Ken Watanabe, as usual, is great, and Tom Hardy (whose recent breakthrough performance in Bronson has drawn comparisons to Ed Norton) has lots of fun, and shines through as the hero here. Mario Cotillard, whose luminous beauty is unrivaled, also gives a powerful performance. Time was taken by Nolan to ensure that the characters were interestingly conceived and then impeccably cast. I can't fault this cast, and even wily veteran Michael Caine effortlessly extends his wisdom.

I really loved the incredibly calculated deconstruction of the time image that succeeds in being both meticulously crafted to enable such an enormous scope to this ingenious concept, while at the same time valuing the intelligence of the audience and allowing them to deconstruct the plot concisely. It is never too smart for its own good. The action is intense and thrilling, and the dream levels possess such an originality. Technically, it is flawless, especially Hans Zimmer's score, which is amazing, and one of the greatest film scores I have ever experienced. The cinematography by Wally Pfister is stunning and Lee Smith should have the editing Oscar wrapped up already. It demands and rewards on multiple viewings, and it is one of the most engrossing cinema experiences since There Will be Blood (2007).

My Rating: 5 Stars (A)