Inception (12A)

Sex in the city is also still showing in some places. Those who dont like this would get off on that. I noticed its gone into the top 3 all time films on IDMB. I'm guessing there's a lot of film buffs on that site. they may be wrong of course.

Inception is one of the best films I've ever seen. Science Fiction or any genre. Anyone bleating on about character development needs to have their head checked. The script had to be economic enough to fit in the large amount of exposition that is needed to drive the film as a whole. Obviously in doing this we don't get a back story on each individual character, where they come from, who there Nan is , what their dogs name is. Admittedly that would be quite cool if it were a 1000 episode series like Lost, but then the film would never have the same impact. This is a world where you are just thrown in, and much like a good book or an episode of The Wire it is demanding and you have to imagine what isn't there. You can tell alot about the characters and their relationships with each other through the little snippets of dialogue, great perfomances and superb direction . If you want to see something character driven, go watch Greenberg (also a good film). Boba Fett has very little screen time and five small lines of dialogue in the Star Wars films. That's not what makes him a cool character. It's imagining all the cool shit he has done. For me Inception is the best film I've seen since the Matrix (forgetting the lousy sequels). Amazing concept and story. Meticulously crafted, demanding, exciting and suspenseful. With great performances, excellent set pieces, fights, guns and car chases all set in a timewarped dreamworld. And in the same way, but from a different angle as the Matrix, it will have you questioning human perception, the nature of reality and even the afterlife. The film will resonate more depending on the scope of your intellect and imagination. If you don't like it then chances are you have neither and are unable to dream. Therefore it would be a waste of time going. Predators is showing across the hallway. (Nothing against Predators, Haven't seen it yet and am sure I will enjoy it on a totally different level). Peace out

The worst film EVER!! BORING, NOISY, ENDLESS IDEA, SHIIIIIIT MOVIE. I just feel sorry for myself for WASTING about 2 hours of my life watching that CRAP movie..

Leonardo ~ totally makes the grade as an actor, loved him in The Beach, The Bourne Identity, Shutter Island, etc he is one for new concepts.... when we are cornered subconsciously, that our creation and manoeuvres. Caprio is a very inteligent creative weaver...

Saw this last night, its definitely a love or hate film and I absolutely hated it !! What a waste of some great actors. Some good special effects but nothing we have not seen countless times before. The plot was for teenagers as someone said an overblown James Bond. Avoid at all costs !

I am a science fiction fan but I thought this film was pretentious nonsense. It is a pale imitation of the matrix but unlike that film does not have a clever plot or interesting story line. As Inception progresses its plot just gets sillier and sillier. There is little logic to it and nothing makles much sense. Its all effect and no substance. A total waste of time. Its so dreadful it quite puts you off visiting the cinema again.

Andrew, I wish I could see the world purely in black and white terms. It would make life so much easier. But experience has taught me that there are a lot, and I mean a lot of grey areas. I think we should at every opportunity scrutinize our art because nobody is right or wrong, it’s all simply down to opinion. It is only in this arena of debate that we can arrive at something approaching the truth. Debate should be a learning process, where egos are put aside and ideas are exchanged and analyzed for the better good. And to respond to Shaffy’s points: “When you write about the 'basics of movie making' I am forced to ask whether you are looking at Inception in a rather orthodox manner? Yes, I'm sure Orson Wells wouldn't have made it like Nolan, but that is how the Arts evolve.� Not at all. There is always room for artistic license but at the same time you have to play by the rules of the game. Especially when you’re making such an expensive film designed to reach a large amount of people. It’s not simply good enough for Nolan to make a film that ignores the audiences need for a central engaging character. You can break all the rules in the world if you’re making a low budget “art film� for a small select group of like-minded people. The artistry of movie-making lies not in breaking convention but more-so in your ability as a good story-teller. Good stories on the whole need interesting purposeful characters and they can either be one dimensional or two dimensional, it really doesn’t matter. You mention ‘Enter the Dragon.’ I can recall at least three or four interesting characters from that film: Lee, Bolo, Han and the black dude Williams who has some of the best lines in the film: “…Mr Han-man.� I understand that what constitutes interesting to someone, might well be boring to someone else. But, I think generally, there is a consensus amongst film-goers as to which characters are or are not interesting in a film. Shaffy, I don’t believe you can make a successful film where the concept is either more important or bigger than the characters. It’s a bit like making a beautiful sports car without an engine. Characters, like an engine in a car, allow us (the audience) to travel. They take us on journey through the narrative and act as mentors and guides. Without them, we are lost. And in the case of Inception, we are left feeling confused and alienated. Each of those concept-driven films that you mentioned (with the exception of Shutter Island cos I haven’t seen it) actually have characters that are engaging and central to the story. In fact I would argue that the Sixth Sense and The Game are mostly character-driven pieces.

Ok Shaffy and Jason,timeout. oh wait...... enter the dragon,one of the best films ever made????? ( I'll deal with that one later) I go to the cinema to see films.I have a tv on which I watch films.I have an extensive collection of FILMS.I love films.there is a simple thing about a great movie. we smile when we watch a good one.it stimulates us,we share it with our friends,we talk about it at work and online and we invariebly watch it again. We create lists and edit magazines on the subject and debates such as yours rage on.I agree with some points both of you make but found myself asking why you are both going so deeply into it with expressions like 'plot driven', or 'character led ', and over scripted. I have a pal thinks he can make movies,he has made nothing of any note about anything that is of any consequence to any soul other than him and his mates who like to giggle at themselves wearing funny false moustaches on the tele. The point is, he too makes similar points like you two,as though it matters. Surely the facts are these. a good movie is a good movie, a not so good one is not so good,. It really is that easy guys.While you two are hypothosizing about plot and character the rest of us are quoting lines and talking about explosions and jokes that litter the effects driven movies we all go to see these days.The art of making films is not getting harder so why make answerring a simple question about a movie so spectacularly complex.?,we are just seeing it done by more people and I for one am delighted to see films like this one.!For one reason...when someone asks"was it good?" I say YES it was great. They dont need any more.It was either good or it was not.Thats all the review they need. This was a really GOOD film, period. Enter the dragon was,,, well it was ok, as weird kung foo fighty flix go.(and I do like some martial arts movies so please do not label me a heathen) but to say its one of the best films ever made,well thats just not true now is it.,, anyway hey ho enjoy.....

Empty superficial boredom, I can't believe I swallowed the hype that this wasn't your usual action blockbuster and paid to see this. Honestly I'd say it was a competent actioner, but anyone suggesting that the 'she's gone, get over it' message is complex, or that the plot is challenging, is nuts! It really asks very little of you. It's a good James Bond. Exciting fluff for teenage boys. As a grown up, I just didn't care, Watanabe, Cotillard, Postlethwaite and Murphy are truly fine actors, but they weren't allowed to bring depth to this fairground ride.

Jason, it would appear that you only read the first half of my post. The point I was making is that there is such a thing as having a concept that is bigger than the individuals within it. This obsession with characters guiding you through a film is rather simplistic. There are plenty of great films where the protagonist is rather one dimensional. 'Enter The Dragon' is probably one of the best films ever made: easy to dismiss however if one is only looking at character development and acting chops! You could just call it a good Martial Arts flick and nothing more, yet it has achieved cult status for many more reasons. When you write about the 'basics of movie making' I am forced to ask whether you are looking at Inception in a rather orthodox manner? Yes, I'm sure Orson Wells wouldn't have made it like Nolan, but that is how the Arts evolve. Don't ask yourself whether you still remember the characters a week after seeing the film. That's the wrong question to ask of this film. Rather, ask yourself if you remember the concept. Just like 'Sixth Sense' or 'Shutter Island' or 'iRobot' or 'The Game', all of which are concept driven movies.