socklessmenace

I saw this film for two reasons: Michael Fassbender, and Steve McQueen. So I'll start my review with them.

Michael Fassbender- A towering performance, completely expected. Fassbender is a master of depth and range and is one of the best actors working today. Every role he submerges himself in is vastly different from the last, from his role in Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" to his portrayal of Magneto in "X-Men: First Class", few could fill the shoes (or should I say helmet) of the great Ian McKellen. The case is no different here. For an hour and forty minutes we completely believe Fassbender as a sex addict riddled with shame and regret. I can see why McQueen has decided to use Fassbender in his films so frequently, few actors can generate such gravity. Fassbender goes to dark and humiliating places and tugs us every inch of the way. One of his best performances and one of the best performances of the year (he was robbed of a best actor nomination).

Steve McQueen- A fantastic introduction to this master director, however, I have unfair mixed feelings. Starting with the good, McQueen is a true art film director; every shot could've been a painting. He brought beauty onto tragic subject matter. As dark as the film got, McQueen's visuals stayed consistently entrancing. That being said, I went into this film having heard numerous reviews of McQueen jarring the audience with shocking visuals, going further and deeper than other directors would dare to go. Frankly, not once did I find McQueen making me feel uncomfortable, shocked, or bothered in any way. Like I said I found quite the opposite, I found he brought beauty. Rather than creating a sense of anxiety I felt he brought simple understanding. Don't get me wrong, he dealt with every scene with truth and honesty, and he was certainly compelling, but not uncomfortably compelling in the way I was expecting from hearing other reviews. He was no Scorsese, or Fincher, or Darren Aronofsky. Clearly people who found this film hard to watch never saw "Taxi Driver" or "Requiem for a Dream". However, this doesn't discredit McQueen at all. What he has in common with these filmmakers was his ability to tackle dark subject matter and find the truth in it and bring it out in an honest way, stylistically is where they differ. Where my mixed feelings come in is that, unfairly to McQueen, I went into the film with expectations of him to deal with the subject matter in a stylistic way more similar to Scorsese, Fincher, or Aronofsky. I was ready to be taken on a roller coaster, and what I got was a ferris wheel: excellent visuals, but not as much thrill. That being said, I was highly impressed with McQueen as a director and having seen this film makes me want to see "Hunger" and heightens my anticipation for "12 years a Slave". He is a true visionary and a talent to watch in the coming years.

Carey Mulligan- Everyone seems to love this actress. When I think of Mulligan two other actresses come to mind, Michelle Williams and Hermione...I mean Emma Watson (don't know why). Unfortunately for Mulligan she is my least favourite of these three; where she differs from them is her range. Unlike Fassbender I find Mulligan has little range, or at least hasn't gotten the chance to show it. I loved her in "Drive" as the troubled girl, living a troubled life, surrounded by troubled people...then I saw her play that role again in 'The Great Gatsby" and now again here. I'm not saying these characters are all exactly the same, I'm saying I found she played them all too similar for my liking. I'd say the only performance I've seen her do which isn't completely similar to these is her performance in "An Education"...but I didn't particularly enjoy her performance in that... and it still had that troubled reminisce she mirrors in these other roles. So although I wouldn't call her a bad actress, I will say that she didn't wow me in this, and I just found I was watching Carey Mulligan instead of her character, because I've seen her play this role two times too many. Where Fassbender brought me in, she brought me out.

The Script- Written by Abi Morgan and Steve McQueen I thought the dialogue was fantastically natural and the dynamics of the characters were well developed. The story, however, failed to impress me and I would even say almost reached disappointment. I just couldn't help but feel I've seen this story before, it was far too predictable. I found myself waiting for things to happen...and then they did. I had far higher hopes and I really wanted something fresh and new, but this film didn't give me that. The story didn't stick with me once the end credits hit. I just felt like I saw another tragic character study that I've seen ten times before. This is where the film lost its stars most for me.

What did stick with me and what saved this film was exactly what I went into it for, Fassbender and McQueen. Fassbender took a traditional flawed character and made him compelling, at times overwhelmingly. McQueen took a cookie-cutter story and added style and mesmerizing visuals. They make this film worth watching. To read the script I probably would've struggled to keep my eyes open and read on; To watch the film I would've had to struggle to look away.

Inception is the most well crafted, thought out, mind blowing masterpiece I've ever experienced. By saying this I am not saying it is my favourite movie although it has great potential of being so after a few more viewings; but it is the greatest movie I've ever seen because of how perfect it is in every aspect of what it is. Christopher Nolan creates a world and a story within that world that is so perfected in every way that it makes you sit there and believe in what your watching, that's how emerged you become in this picture. But I would actually rather classify it as something other then a film for no other film has made me feel or think this way afterwords. You sit in awe, and as the screen goes black your overwhelmed by what you've just sat through.

I can't stop thinking about it! It's completely consumed me and I'm totally thrown away by what I have just watched. Christopher Nolan has created art with this Film. It will force you to watch it again and again just to understand everything you just went through. I feel like I haven't finished watching it and haven't completed my Inception experience till I watch it at least two more times...it's breathtaking, thought provoking and I feel like I haven't left the theatre because the movie wont get out of my head! There's no describing it, it's simply Inception.