19.2.11

Oscar Countdown, Day 2: Inception


Counting down the hours until Hollywood's most golden of awards galas? So are we! Semi-obsessively. Join us at noon for the next ten too-long days as we mentally prep our Oscar pool ballots and give each of this year's Best Picture nominees a once over and half.

Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

INCEPTION

THE RUNDOWN: A team of high profile criminals (Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy), lead by a talented-yet-totally-damaged man named Cobb (Leo DiCaprio), attempt to change a business man's (Cillian Murphy) mind. Literally. They try to manipulate his thoughts by entering his subconscious and infiltrating various levels of his dreams. But how far can they go without losing their own heads?

WHY IT'S GOLDEN: Inception is a surreal spiral into world after world that forces you think about thoughts. It's a beautiful, emotional narrative with stunning visual effects, a talented ensemble cast and gorgeous cinematography that you'd wish you could freeze-frame and hang on your wall. It's mainstream artsy film that feels neither mainstream nor artsy. This film pulled audiences in with the completely ambiguous, silent trailer of things tilting over, people drifting through air and very serious, slit-eyed expressions. What film can raise expectations so high then completely whoosh past them? - Michelle

WHY IT'S NOT: Personally, I was pretty enthralled by this pipe dream of summer blockbustermetaphysics at the mindless movies, who woulda thunk?! But many of of my fellow moviegoers had one mega-complaint: it was just too damn long. And I kinda agree. Did they really need to be on that winter level for so long? I mean, let's face it, when Leo and ice get together, disaster is bound to ensue. But seriously, Chris Nolan could have trimmed out about 10 minutes and our minds would have remained fully fucked. - Emily

THE FINAL VERDICT:
Inception is this year's Inglourious Basterds. We're all convinced the instant cult classic doesn't have a real shot at winning but we're glad to see a film so awesome getting recognition.

Check out Emily's original review of Inception here! Tomorrow: Toy Story 3!

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