August 2, 2010
MARMITE.
No way near as clever as it thinks itself, "Inception" promises much but delivers little of real value. The concept is a fascinating one and could have been handled in a far more challenging manner. The subconscious and the premise of dreams as an actual space one can manipulate should have been a boon but this movie in my opinon falls flat and is in many ways predictable and very dull. While the cast is superb and the acting faultless, this cannot somehow save the production from being nothing more than an action movie purporting to be intellectual. "Inception" to me is flawed on many levels and never quite raises itself above an ordinary Hollywood blockbuster. The script is heavy handed and lacks subtlety, and the dream sequences seem flat and utterly uninspiring. Characters are drawn like cardboard cut-outs and there is no development.
I was very much drawn to it because of the basic concept, something which could have been truly memorable and intellectually challenging had it been explored to its full potential. The story wanders aimlessly in search of a good plot and never quite lifts off the ground. Pretentious and boring, it over-reaches and misses the point by a mile. It is a shame as it had such endless possibilities of true greatness. But in the end, a damp squib which fizzes rather than sparkles.
