Motion Picture, Drama: Argo Actor, Motion Picture Drama: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln Actress, Motion Picture Drama: Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy: Les Miserables Actor, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables Director, Motion Picture: Ben Affleck, Argo Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement: Jodie Foster Actress, TV Musical or Comedy: Lena Dunham, Girls Animated Film: Brave Actress, TV Drama: Claire Danes, Homeland Foreign Language Film: Amour, from Austria Actor, TV Musical or Comedy: Don Cheadle, House of Lies Screenplay, Motion Picture: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained Supporting Actress, Motion Picture: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Ed Harris, Game Change Actress, Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook Actor, Miniseries or TV Movie: Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys Original Song, Motion Picture: Skyfall (music & lyrics by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth), Skyfall Original Score, Motion Picture: Mychael Danna, Life of Pi Series, TV Drama: Homeland TV Series, Musical or Comedy: Girls Actor, TV Drama: Damian Lewis, Homeland Actress, Miniseries or TV Movie: Julianne Moore, Game Change Miniseries or TV Movie: Game Change Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or TV Movie: Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey Supporting Actor, Motion Picture: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The next review in our modern classics series is Christopher Nolan's 2010 release Inception. Now it's no surprise that Amateur Reviews are a huge fan of this director's work so it seemed like high time to justify some of this immense adoration with a modern classics review. Pretty certain alot of you will have already watched this film so if you fancy leaving your opinion, it's very much appreciated. Here we go...
“True inspiration isimpossible to fake”. But what if that was not
the case? If we said “Don’t think about elephants” we’re fairly certain you
just thought of elephants. How could you claim that was your own idea when you
know you were given it? Well, imagine if, when you were fast asleep, someone could
delve far enough into your subconscious and plant a thought so deep that the
real origin of the idea is no longer detectable. Due to Nolan’s iron curtain of
secrecy, you probably knew as much about this film as you did astrophysics before going into see it, but
there lies the central feature of Christopher Nolan’s offering.
If there’s one thing ‘The Matrix’ did for us, apart
from bringing back leather, is that it gave way to a whole new genre of sci-fi.
The type that makes you question your very existence. And although Inception is similar in that sense – it’s
refreshingly original and completely unique. Take note Michael Bay: this is how you make a Hollywood
Blockbuster.
Ten
years ago, the idea began to germinate in Nolan’s mind, not as the sci-fi heist
you’ve grow to know, but as a horror film. A decade on, we
have a knotty thriller that surpasses The Prestige and even, Nolan’s successful release, Memento. Following on from his supremely victorious
second instalment in the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight, Nolan is a director
well and truly at the top of his game. Naturally, there was a certain amount of
trepidation surrounding the film, but rest assured, Inception did not
disappoint.
Make
no mistake, this is a proper film. Nolan has rejected fashionable 3D (thank
God) which often makes films feel dark, gimmicky and lacking in detail. He has
shunted ostentatious tracking shots and constant reliance on green screen in
order to make a film based on dreams feel surprisingly real. Together with cinematographer
Wally Pfister, who used a variety of frames to capture breath-taking landscapes
and claustrophobic close-ups, they have achieved the extraordinary. Shot in
IMAX with superb editing, flawless visual effects and Hans Zimmer’s epically intense
score makes for a ridiculously immersive viewing experience.
Aesthetically stunning, the plot flitters
between four layers of a dream. From the grimy, industrial city
level which Nolan gave his signature tough Gotham-look, to the corporate hotel
layer with its warm colour palette and soft lighting – it is easy to
differentiate between them. One minute you’re in Paris, the next Mombasa and
the third act transpires in a snow fortress which strongly resembles the
architecture of the Geisel Library at UCSD. The difference between this film
and the Bourne Trilogy is that you don’t find yourself suspending disbelief as
they trot across continents. Dreams mean no boundaries, no laws of physics and
plenty of creative licence.
Beneath
the films complex exterior, the occasional car chase and expertly placed
explosion lies a love story laced with redemption, grief and the inability to
let go of those who have left us. The core of the piece is anchored by our
protagonist
Cobb (DiCaprio) as the serious and introverted “Extractor” burdened with the
seemingly impossible task of planting an idea in someone’s mind. His sincere performance is the glue that holds the ensemble together. As one of his finest portrayals, it's hard to imagine anyone managing to encapsulate the depth and hidden turmoil faced by Cobb as impressively as DisCaprio.
Mimicking
a classic heist movie, Cobb wastes no time in quickly assembling a skilled team
with characters that complement each other with chemistry and spirit to rival
any strong ensemble cast. Ariadne (Page) as the young, quirky student is given
the role of replacement “Architect”, but not in the traditional sense. Niftily
taken from Greek mythology, her namesake was responsible for leading Theseus
out of the Minotaur’s maze and her character arc shares some uncanny parallelism
to our plot. Dileep Rao plays “Chemist”, funny-man and designated driver Yusuf,
named after the Prophet, gifted with the ability to interpret dreams. Good luck
to all the sceptics who like to pick at loop holes and flaws, because, unlike
The Prestige, you won’t find any. This movie is watertight.
Cobb’s
“Pointman” and sidekick is played by the indie-film staple Joseph Gordon-Levitt
who is a far cry
from his usual hopeless romantic. He instead exhibits some mind-bending stunts
and brings an element of Bond-style panache to the film. Cillian Murphy, one of
Nolan’s go-to actors,
is back as Robert Fischer, the sleek heir to energy giants Fischer Morrow and
the subject of the nail-biting assignment. His vulnerable and helpless
representation of Fischer shows an impressive amount of versatility and proves
there’s more to him and his protuberant blue eyes than the crazed Scarecrow from
Batman Begins. Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard takes on Cobb’s wife and tortured
soul, Mal, and provides a remarkable amount of grace and elegance to a male
dominated cast. Her name translated means ‘bad’ in both French and Spanish, but
of course that’s a coincidence… A stand-out performance comes from future
leading man material Tom Hardy. Virtually unrecognisable from the 2008 biopic
‘Bronson’, Hardy is the actor most starved of screen time, his roguish charm
and sarcastic disposition of the clandestine “Forger” Eames lights up scenes
with playful wit and effortless timing.
With
the backing of an international, A-list cast and one of the
best directors of recent years at the helm, Inception is a dream come true for
any studio and good on Warner Brothers for not padding it out and diluting the
smartness with incessant shooting. The complexity of Inception is not the flaw
that some reviews
are jumped on; it’s what makes it successful. For a film so intricate, it is
not overambitious because it would be all too easy to feel lost and left out. Nolan’s
tremendous narrative skill and trademark slight of hand keeps viewers on the
inside and guides them along as a member of the team. So when you see
Inception, which let’s be honest, you all probably have, be prepared to debate the
ending for the rest of forever. What Christopher Nolan has succeeded in creating
is an immensely intelligent film that challenges the audience but isn’t self
indulgent and non-accessible. Inception is outstanding and quite frankly,
bloody genius. Just don’t fall asleep in the middle of it – or else you could
be waking up with some “radical notions”.
Starring Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy
Eight years on, a new terrorist leader, Bane, overwhelms
Gotham's finest, and the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect a city that has
branded him an enemy.
The wait is over, The Dark Knight finally Rises. And it did not disappoint. The Dark Knight films
have become, in our opinion, the best superhero trilogy yet and the latest
movie is an amalgamation of this. It’s the perfect balance between Hollywood
action and character acting; this is, and has been, Nolan’s greatest achievement.
The action is necessary and artfully crafted, there’s none of those senseless
explosions that go on in a Transformers movie for 90% of the time. This movie
is visually striking, emotionally gripping and clever – Nolan is never one to
placate the audience and people seem to appreciate that. The plot is as
intricate and twisting as ever which makes for some magical moments of
revelation.
The film loses momentum ever so slightly in the middle which
makes the ending happen very quickly but that's splitting hairs. The
Dark Knight Rises even surpasses that of its predecessor (The Dark Knight) because
it largely avoided any of the slower bits in the second act. Now we’re not a
review site who sit there and discredit other critics reviews because they are,
of course, entitled to their own opinion. But would Christy Lemire quit harping
on about the length, that’s not a reason to hate a film, how old are you?
Anyone with an average attention span will have no trouble keeping interested. People
are throwing around the word ‘bloated’ which implies boredom, but no one
complained at Inception which was practically the same length.
The casting for The Dark Knight Rises was en pointe. It has to
be said, when Anne Hathaway was cast as Catwoman there was a certain amount of
trepidation that she would be right for this role, but really we’re sorry we
doubted her. Selina Kyle was perfectly feline without camping it up, subtly sexy and
down right captivating with her skin tight cat suit and seductive drawl. Nolan’s
Catwoman bought a lot of fun to a film that is otherwise quite steely.
Tom Hardy once again has shown why he’s one of the most talented
actors of the moment. Even with most of his face covered he managed to portray
so much emotion through his expressive eyes. Staying largely true to the comics he was a true mercenary, with a
colossal physique to prove it, and say what you want about the voice, Bane is
marvellous. An adversary who more than matches Batman’s strength, intellect and
unlike the undirected chaos of The Dark Knight, has a real purpose.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was especially impressive in a non showy
way. He really made Blake his own, and became more than just a GCPD cop turned
detective. TDKR is not devoid of emotion either, which makes the film all the more worthwhile. Some of the most touching aspects of the movie come from exchanges
between Michael Caine and Christian Bale - to find Oscar worthy acting in a
superhero movie is a rarity, in The Dark Knight Rises it’s present in abundance.
The plot is fantastically relevant also. From economic collapse
at the Stock Exchange to talks of terrorism, The Dark Knight Rises is firmly
placed in reality which is all the more impressive for a Hollywood blockbuster. And it's this grounding that resonates strongly with the audience in an admirable way. Again, Christopher Nolan has managed to create a film that is visually
immersive, thought provoking and superbly entertaining. This is a solid task on
it’s own but when you add to it the pressure to match the dizzy heights of The
Dark Knight it seemed like this movie could only disappoint. But it didn’t. And
he rounded off a trilogy in an immensely satisfying way that left no loose ends
or unanswered questions. The spectacular score, acting, effects and cinematography
make for a proper cinematic experience which you'd struggle to match.
The Dark Knight Rises is truly a masterpiece, it's breathtaking, suspenseful and utterly blood pumping. It seems fair to
say that The Dark Knight definitely
Rose.
Rating: 10
Have your say - Was this movie worthy of full marks? You know where to comment!
Yesterday, Amateur Reviews was lucky enough to attend the film premiere of the summer in London's Leicester Square! The garden's were decked out with a giant bat head, a flaming bat symbol, massive screens and even Bane's tumbler was there.
The stars were out in force although sadly Michael Caine and Gary Oldman could not attend. Tom Hardy was first to arrive on the red carpet with his fianceé Charlotte Riley at 5:15 sharp, looking dapper in a trench coat to face the rain, he proceeded to stay out for ages making sure no one went home disappointed. Charlotte Riley happily signed autographs with personal messages, while Tom signed and posed for pictures with all the fans.
Marion Cotillard and Anne Hathaway looked stunning and it was quite surreal seeing them both in real life! They are even more beautiful in the flesh. Anne Hathaway was especially chatty and spoke to some of the fans in our pen about her singing in Les Mis! Notoriously shy Cillian Murphy also was happy to sign autographs, although sadly we did not get one - but he did steal someone's pen! Also in attendance was Douglas Booth who is set to play Romeo in a remake of Romeo and Juliette, he was incredibly lovely and down to earth.
On the disappointing side of things, Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan did not approach to sign autographs or take pictures and neither did Morgan Freeman, but this was to be expected. As well as this Joseph Gordon-Levitt did not sign much which was a shame because we were by alot of his fans... But we were incredibly lucky to even see these starlets in the flesh!
If the movie in anyway reflects the magnitude of the awesome European Premiere, it is going to be epic! Here are a few of the photos we managed to take, as well as the autographs we recieved! This post is going to be a little photo heavy, but it's better to have too many pictures from the event than too little.
Outside the Odeon Theatre at Leicester Square
A bill board outside the Odeon showing a face off between Bane and Batman
The immense bat head that also acted as a stage
Fans outside the theatre
The flaming bat symbol
Sneaky walk down the red carpet while the barriers were being set up
Alex Zane looking like he's about to start Singin' In The Rain
Bane's majestic tumbler - a worthy opponent to the Batmobile!
The gorgeous actress Charlotte Riley talking to the fans
Tom Hardy mid interview
Not sure Bane would be smiling this much...
Marion Cotillard looking stunning
Marion Cotillard signing autographs
British actor Douglas Booth
Anne Hathaway smiling with the fans
Joseph Gordon-Levitt doing press (left) and Morgan Freeman (far right)
Fan boys and girls, the time is nearly upon us! The Dark Knight Rises premiered in New York City last night to very positive reviews, there have been a few not so positive ones (yes, Christie Lemire, we are talking about you) but only time will tell if Empire's 5 Stars are accurate!
Here are some of the pictures from the star studded event on the black carpet to feast your eyes on...
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Villain of the tale: Tom Hardy looking dapper
Anne Hathaway aka Catwoman
Tom Hardy and his fiance Charlotte Riley
Bruce Wayne himself, Christian Bale
Marion Cotillard looking stunning in angelic Dior.
