The Emperor's New Movie: Inception

For Those Who Don't Know:

'The Emperor's New Movie' is a term I apply to any film that gathers massive box office success, universal critical acclaim and a fistful of awards simply on the basis of reputation rather than merit. These are the films that everyone suddenly seems to love and talk about in spite of the fact that they are clearly not as innovative, inspiring or anywhere near as good as everyone convinces themselves that they are. They are also known as 'Films Your Neighbour Loves' ("Oh, have you seen it? You simply MUST see it...") and will get you swiftly ejected from a group conversation should you offer anything other than glowing praise of the film in question.

With that in mind, let's take a look at:

Inception

Remember 'The Matrix'? Christopher Nolan does. Remember the twisty turny plot of 'Memento' that actually turns out to be a bit of a con if you stop and think about it for too long? Christopher Nolan hopes you don't. Remember what happens when you give a writer/director who thinks he's a lot smarter than his audience a massive special effects budget to distract you from the short comings of a really basic pop psychology notion that he has dressed up as a really challenging Sci-Fi concept? Well, you do now... All thanks to Christopher Nolan and the bafflingly popular 'Inception'.

Massively successful, critically acclaimed and due an Oscar or two in March... No, not Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight Returns' (another post, another time), I'm talking about 'Inception', a film that I really wanted to like... And did. To a point...

It was an okay excursion into the ever more popular 'action movie with intellectual set dressing' sub genre that has been growing in popularity over the recent years...

I can only assume that this is something to do with a thirty something generation of film viewers who grew up with some of the seminal works in the action genre ('Predator', 'Die Hard', 'Aliens' et all) wanting to go back to the cinema and see more explosions, gunfights, quips and chicks but not wanting to look too low brow in front of their partners... Which is strange, because at the other end of the demographic spectrum is a generation of teens who also want films that follow the traditional formulas but dress them with characters who are 'above' the very material they populate ('Juno', 'Scott Pilgrim Vs The World', '500 Days Of Summer' et all).

What I find most baffling about this whole trend is that the films that are being referenced and 'expanded' upon didn't need over thinking or filling with self referential characters. They were films that existed within their own universes, hinted at bigger ideas but never betrayed their own narratives in order to do so. You think the characters in 'Heathers' or 'Say Anything' had never seen a movie? Of course they had, they just didn't need to talk about it in the world of the story to prove that they were real beings. Imagine how dull 'Star Wars' would have been if it had spent needless hours expanding upon the basic ideas at it's core... You don't have to, we have 'The Phantom Menace' onwards to prove the point.

The current generation of film viewer seems to need some psuedo intellectual reassurance that they are allowed to watch what they enjoy... Which is a shame as it bogs down potentially great movies with endless winks to the audience and their perceived level of intelligence.

Ultimately, 'Inception' is just another post 'Matrix' action thriller with Sci-Fi trappings, under developed ideas that it uses to mask it's narrative shortcomings and excessive use of hair product. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn't been forced to listen to several conversations about how 'mind bendingly' brilliant it was or how I'd need to see it at least twice to fully understand it.

I didn't.

I saw it once, got it completely, filed it on the shelf and moved on.

Films You Should Watch Instead:

Vertigo

The Matrix

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind