The Film Thugs Movie Show

Jim here,

I am challenged right now. How do I write a spoiler free movie that is almost impossible to spoil? By that I mean a film whose outcome is less important than how that outcome is reached.

For years I have bemoaned the lack of challenging films that are entertaining. Most films are either entertaining and require no mental effort aside from our automatic breathing function and consciousness, or require a tremendous amount of thought and concentration while lacking much in the way of entertainment or spectacle.

Orson Welles use to say that if he were given total artistic freedom he could make a better movie than "Citizen Kane." Think about that. A movie that is considered. by many, the finest film ever made wasn't enough. He knew he could grow. So, what happens when a director makes enough money for a studio that the studio gives them an almost unlimited budget to do with as he pleases. Well, you get James Cameron and "Avatar." That was all we had.... until now.

Thank God for Chris Nolan. His career has been spent fusing these two things. From his early work in "Following ,"and "Memento," through some transitional things like "Insomnia" and "The Prestige," and into his blockbuster defining turns with "Batman Begins," and "The Dark Knight," Nolan has been a man on a mission. That mission simply being to entertain people who are smart. Don't get me wrong, he isn't a "think piece" director, his films hold almost as much enjoyment for the passive viewer as the active, but you really have to be on your game to "get it."

This is a script 10 years in the writing, and it shows. The story is a complex maze where even the concept of time is subjective, but at no point does he go for a cheap fix. There is no Shamalaning (replacing genuine intrigue with twists for the sake of twists), Smithing (long expository dialogue scenes), or Baying (slick, over the top action scenes that provide little risk and less reward as they have no real baring on the story). What you do have is a lot of Hitchcockesque use of visuals to aid in the story and a plot that you have to pay attention to.

Since his debut film "Following" he has continued to evolve as a filmmaker and "Inception" is possibly the biggest jump forward I could imagine. That's right, this thing is not only the best think Nolan has made, it is one of the best films I have ever seen. The story and direction are superb, the performances are outstanding, and the music is perfect. Every aspect of this film is dead on and I couldn't be happier with the results. My expectations could not have been higher nor could they have been better met by this film.

I use the word film consciously. When I say "film" I mean a work of art that is also entertaining and thought provoking that uses film as a means to convey an amazing story that is as emotionally involving as it is intellectually stimulating. This isn't a movie, a way to pass two hours in the air conditioning while being distracted. It could be viewed that way if you want to, but you would be missing out.

This film is a labyrinth, not just a maze. Yeah, there are twists and turns, but there are also layers, many layers. Something this ambitious and complex could have been a disappointing mess in the hands of a lesser storyteller, but Nolan has the ability to lead you through it with ease, leaving you almost breathless at the end, but wanting to take the ride again.

I am hard pressed to write much more. If you've seen trailers then you know the basics, it involves dreams. That's all I want you to know going in. That's all I knew, and I am happy for that. Before seeing it I read no reviews, I saw no interviews, and I avoided all trailers after the first one.

Do yourself a favor. Go see this movie. Go now. Don't read any reviews that tell you anything about it, don't watch previews that show you cool stuff. Just go and be surprised. Pay attention and see how entertaining it can be to have a film challenge you intellectually. You will not be disappointed.

More on this on the podcast tomorrow.

Jim