"Inception"written and directed by Christopher Nolan
Somebody wrote that Nolan’s problem is that his dreams are directed by Michael Bay. I disagree. Were his dreams directed by Michael Bay “Inception” would be much more fun. Yes, I think Michael Bay, together with Steven Spielberg, are the best showmen of the Hollywood raze-dazzle.
Pseudo-psychological or pseudo-intellectual pretenses are grave sins of storytelling. A few truly spectacular shots and fantastic visual concepts can’t hide them. (Whoever came up with the city folding upon itself shot is a genius! If for only one shot.)
True that while watching the flick I though “Amazing that he gets away with such shallow shit! Anybody else would fall flat on his face and die. Yet, this guy keeps the story moving. That’s an impressive skill. Still, I felt cheated and bored by the overall set up. Boring characters played by boring actors inside a half baked story. All spiced up by mountains of dollars and super talented technicians.
While Nolan toils hard, Michael Bay kicks ass with gusto and ecstasy of dealing with the medium. He truly pushes the envelope in rhythm, speed, visual elegance. That’s why I love his directing. Nolan plays it both ways, tries to be hip and profound. Ends up neither.
Where is Hitch in all of that? Well, coming back from the screening I felt “dirtied”, so I pulled out “The Secret Agent”. Great characters, great wit, palpable pleasure of storytelling. All jumped out of the screen and restored my faith in the medium.
I think that Hitch and Bay have fun when telling their stories. Nolan flexes his muscles and strains. That’s a big difference.
