INCEPTION

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.Leonardo Dicaprio steals ideas at the request of major corporations in writer-director Christopher Nolan’s latest INCEPTION.

DiCaprio’s Cobb steals ideas, with the assistance of a handful of colleagues, by infiltrating his victims’ dreams. Cobb and crew find secure locations where their victims, and themselves, can be lulled to sleep, while each is attached to the same unique machine where each can enter the victim’s dream. Within the dream, Cobb and his associates steal a thought or concept from the dreamer and provide it to the corporation they are working for. Cobb’s latest job requires him to perform the contrary, instead of stealing an idea, he’s going to plant one. This is called inception.

In addition to this extremely difficult, nearly impossible task, Cobb is plagued by his deceased wife Mal, who continues to appear at inopportune times in his and others dreams.

Examining dreams is far from unexplored territory, but the level of depth, execution and complexity has never before been projected as in INCEPTION. The film is a mind-bender, not only mixing illusion and reality, but digging further into the subconscious than most films dare to dream.

It’s said that Nolan worked ten years on the screenplay, and needless to say, a mere two and a half hours isn’t enough time for a viewer to fully appreciate, understand or explore the intricacy of INCEPTION. As complex as it is, it’s a credit to Nolan that INCEPTION is relatively easy to follow, even if it’s not completely comprehensible.

The general framework is that of a heist movie. Cobb and his crew are going to plant a thought in the heir of a major energy company’s mind, and attempt to get out before he recognizes what they are up to. This standard framework around a dense concept is further aided by the angst and depth of Cobb.

As with all Nolan films from MEMENTO to THE PRESTIGE to THE DARK KNIGHT, his protagonists carry a lot of dark emotional baggage. Cobb is haunted by the memory of his wife, and guilt-ridden by his estrangement from his son and daughter. By accepting this last job, Cobb believes it’s his ticket home to his family. DiCaprio is again on top of his game. Performing in a role eerily similar to Teddy Daniels from Martin Scorsese’s SHUTTER ISLAND, DiCaprio again reveals a man who’s tough, intelligent and aggressive exterior is merely a shell incasing a troubled and hurt soul. The remainder of the cast, including Ellen Page, Michael Caine and Joseph Gordon Levitt, is solid, but almost inconsequential.

INCEPTION is all about the layers of philosophical, thematic and narrative depth, and centering these aspects around a deeply complicated character. Watching INCEPTION once allots you an engaging and entertaining head-trip. To completely derive maximum enjoyment, I’d imagine at least two more trips are required.

Grade: A

TOY STORY III

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Rex, Jessie and the rest of the gang are back in the saddle again, this time attempting to avoid a permanent trip to the attic or the dreaded trash heap in TOY STORY 3.

The gang’s owner Andy, now a young adult, is preparing to leave for college, but dear old mom has issued an ultimatum. The toys have three options: college, the attic or the trash. Woody makes the college cut, but the rest of the toys are stashed in a garbage bag for the attic. The problem comes, and so does the plot, when Andy’s mom mistakes the garbage bag full of toys for trash.

It’s up to Woody to save his friends from their refuse destination, and back to Andy’s old stomping grounds.

Separation anxiety is nothing new for the old toys. In the original TOY STORY, Woody felt as if Andy had replaced him with Buzz, in the sequel some of the toys are yard sale or donation casualties and in TOY STORY 3 almost everyone feels as if they've been left for good.

Despite the repetitive theme, TOY STORY 3 feels fresh because it launches the toys into the new world of Sunnyside, a day care center that isn’t as pleasant as it seems. Just when you think you’ve seen all the colorful characters the TOY STORY series has to offer, the third installment serves up that many more. Two of the newest characters, from Sunnyside, are also the most memorable, with Lotso, a worn, and cute teddy bear with a dark past, and Ken, Barbie’s beau, who provides the film with the most laughs, and a wardrobe montage for the ages.

The voice work is again impeccable, with Michael Keaton as Ken, Ned Beatty as Lotso and all of the returnees not missing a beat. The film isn’t as efficiently paced as the first two, but it almost makes up for it with two of the series most emotional scenes. The gang has faced some serious odds in the past, but nothing like the third’s climax, one which really pulls at the heart strings.

TOY STORY 3, like all Pixar pictures, is a riveting adventure and comedy for children, and a whole lot more for their parents.

Grade: B+

KNIGHT AND DAY

Photos courtesy of New Regency PicturesTom Cruise is a loose cannon who finds some excess baggage in the form of Cameron Diaz, on his plane flight in the action-adventure KNIGHT AND DAY.

Cruise is C-I-A operative Roy Miller, an agent who has apparently gone rogue after obtaining a self-sufficient and everlasting energy source off the black market. Diaz is June, the unassuming passenger aboard Roy’s flight. She’s headed for her sister’s wedding, but during the flight, after making a quick stop in the powder room, returns to find all of the flight’s passengers, with the exception of Roy, dead.

With Roy and June as the lone survivors, Roy’s foes believe that June must be complicit in Roy’s plans.
With Cruise and Diaz in the lead roles, and the film in an accomplished director’s hands like James Mangold, one would expect for KNIGHT AND DAY to be a breezy, lightweight, sometimes thrilling slice of entertainment for adults. It’s breezy and lightweight, but KNIGHT AND DAY also becomes enamored with CGI oriented action scenes, one’s which aren't bad, but also aren’t particularly good, and end up stripping away the chemistry that Cruise and Diaz have together.

Each moment between Roy and June is cut short by a high speed chase, a slew of bullets or the watchful eye of the Central Intelligence Agency. These two characters aren’t allotted any quality time together, so there’s little stake in their fate. It’s a shame because KNIGHT AND DAY returns Cruise to the role of movie star. After some admirable attempts at more serious films, Cruise’s Roy is a return to the charismatic role that made him a household name. Diaz is also good, creating a charming and naïve, but still smart and strong woman to counteract Roy’s natural instincts.

KNIGHT AND DAY’s effects-driven adventure is an upgrade from the incomprehensible 2009 films like TRANSFORMERS 2 and TERMINATOR: SALVATION. Ultimately though, KNIGHT AND DAY is more disappointing, since the participants are much more interesting, but are given less time to interact.

Grade: C