Inception: 4 stars

Plot Summary: In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption. This will involve executing his toughest job to date: Inception.

Yeah I know, a Summer 2010 blockbuster that I'm posting about in late January 2011. My best of 2010 list (well, more "these are the movies I watched in 2010" list) will be posted soon with more explanation of what I've been up to. For now, I need to focus and tackle this review, within a review, inside another review.

First, I need to expand on the plot summary above. Mr. DiCaprio (Cobb) plays a hired hand, a man with the technology and skills to infiltrate peoples dreams and steal their secrets and ideas. Apparently in worlds I'm not a part of (high finance and crime to name a few) people will go through any length to get what they need. The execution of something like this is just as complicated as you'd imagine it to be. However, it's something that Cobb has done many times before. He's very good at what he does. Stealing an idea isn't the hard part; implanting an idea is. That is called Inception. So we're introduced to Cobb, to his team and the story rolls forward towards the grand finale of Inception. The details of that journey are for you to discover. However, I can tell you what I thought of the journey; that's no secret.

Inception is a bold piece of filmmaking. Bold in that it is a completely original idea. We're not seeing much of those anymore in Hollywood. It was conceived of and written by Christopher Nolan from his original thought. It's not a sequel (or a squeakquel) or a remake of a better crafted foreign film. What is even more impressing is that while the idea itself is pretty simple, one would imagine the execution of that idea on screen would be very difficult. Nolan pulls it off effortlessly (seemingly), and it is incredibly fun to watch. What you may have heard is true; there is a dream, inside a dream, inside a dream all happening at once. Why you ask? Because in order to implant an idea, you have to go as deep into the subconscious as you can so the victim doesn't know the idea isn't his or hers. While it sounds confusing, and easy to make fun of, it is quite a sight to see unravel in front of your eyes. The amazing thing is that I was not confused or lost at any point during the sequence. That is reason enough for any fan of celluloid to see Inception as soon as possible; but wait, there's more.

The thing that impressed me most about this film is that I was treated to an actual story. You may have, as I did, assumed that Inception was just going to be about the act itself. A caper inside someone's mind. There would be a set up, the gathering of the top notch team, the planning, the buildup, the heist itself and then a resolution. A Summer blockbuster doesn't need anything else. Throw in amazing special effects, and you're done. Why do anything more? Christopher Nolan knew that in order to reach a broader audience and to keep people interested beyond the wow factor he would need more. Cue Marion Cotillard; the love interest. I won't reveal anything about this aspect of the story, but adding this depth to Cobb's character in turn adds something for viewers to latch onto, to root for and to identify with. This was a great move by Nolan. It illustrates why he is one of the best filmmakers of this generation. Inception was Nolan's baby. It is the film he has been working towards, earning money and reputation for, since Memento was a sleeper hit. He could have taken the easy route, but he chose to lend some heart to a beautiful technical idea, and it's what pushes Inception towards the realm of masterpiece. There are a few small details that I felt held it back a bit, and I would have to watch it again to determine if it reaches that realm. Only time will tell.

Green Zone: 3.5 Stars

Plot summary: During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Damon) and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in Iraq. Rocketing from one treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission.

Don't let some critics fool you, Green Zone is one of the MOST American films you'll see. I'm glad I live in a country where we can question our government without being punished or killed. In fact, we don't use that particular freedom quite enough.

Green Zone walks a tricky line. It attempts to veil a fictional action movie over a very touchy event. That event is the invasion of Iraq and specifically the reason for invasion. We were told there were WMD's in Iraq. I personally feel we were told this in a way that struck fear in our country. When we invaded there were none to be found. Now, feel free to argue that point, but it's a fact. Were there other weapons there that cause destruction of some kind? I'm sure there were. That's to be expected. Citizen's of America, however, were led to believe there were weapons there that could cause destruction on the scale of nuclear or biochemical. Those weren't found. Now, from here on out, one has to be careful. There is nothing more being asserted. There is no argument that Saddam Hussein isn't evil, no argument that Iraq never had WMD's or possibly moved them before the invasion, no argument against the horrible things that were going on in Iraq. All we ask as citizens of this great country is that when our government goes to war and puts our youth in danger, they better tell the truth about why they're doing it. Politically speaking, that is what Green Zone is trying to say. It portrays the anger many people feel about being misled. If you think that is anti-american then I have to question your definition of American. To blindly follow your country is one of the most anti-american things I can think of. The film makes other comments on missteps during the invasion, such as dismissing the Iraqi army and leaving them unemployed and agitated, and I can go on to talk about them but I'm here to critique a film.

If you liked any of Paul Greengrass' previous films, especially the Bourne sequels, I see no reason why you wouldn't thoroughly enjoy Green Zone. It is taut, exciting and kept me engaged and guessing all the way until the end. Greengrass employs the same shaky hand-held camera work that he always has and in a film set amongst the confusion of war it has never been more effective.

One of my favorite aspects of Green Zone is the subplot of Freddy. Freddy is an Iraqi citizen who approaches Miller and his unit (while they are at another site containing no WMD's) with information about a meeting occurring of suspected high priority targets. After the invasion of the meeting, and the discovery that Hussein's top ranking general was there, the film's spider web cover-up plot takes off as Miller slowly peels back the layers of what's really going on. What is so interesting about Freddy is that he personifies the complications of the occupation. He also has one of the most powerful lines of the film. Miller continually states how he is there to do his job; find WMD's and save lives, but Freddy is there to remind him (and us) that it is a little more complicated than that.

The story line of Green Zone has many ins and outs. In other hands the film could have become confusing and irritating but the story is told with great ease by director Paul Greengrass and writer Brian Helgeland. One way to do this, which has been portrayed as a negative by many critics, is one dimensional characters and simple yet powerful dialogue. That way, there is less to get in the way. Let me be clear though, the characters are in no way dull, boring or poorly written. I think a better way to describe them, and the film as a whole, is focused.

I think in order to enjoy this film, you really have to go into it with an open mind. I say that to both sides of the argument. If you completely disagree with my second paragraph above, you could still enjoy the film as it is a thriller, not a documentary. Even if you agree with the assertions of the film, you also have to realize that it is a work of fiction and not something to use to further your contentions. Bottom line: Green Zone is a very effective thriller that was a blast to watch.

Top Twenty of the Decade

Everybody else is doing it, so why can't I? It's all the rage at the end of 2009, and pretty much a pointless endeavor. Most critics and people in general would have two totally different lists, with some films corresponding and some curiously absent. There are way too many good movies to choose from. My list is going to be geared towards the films that I enjoyed the most; and that I could think of sitting here at a computer with my dvd collection nowhere in sight. Not necessarily the best crafted piece of art, or the ones with the best performances, but rather a list of the ten movies I would love to watch over and over again (you'd be surprised what I force myself to sit through over and over). So here it is, my humble top twenty of the first decade of this millennia.

20a. Best In Show: For me this is Christopher Guest and his cast of regulars at their best. Practically every scene is gold and I never get tired of watching it.

20b. Shaun of The Dead: The film that introduced us to Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and of course director Edgar Wright. I cannot wait for their next collaboration. Hot Fuzz was great as well, but I had to give the nod to Shaun for starting the love affair.

19. Stevie: Steve James gets my vote for best documentarian working today. Why? Because he is so good and just letting the story tell itself. At no time do I ever feel that James is letting his own opinion or bias get in the way. To make Hoop Dreams and Stevie in one life is an amazing feat.

18. Control: While the subject matter of this film makes it a very tough one to re-watch, I couldn't keep it out of the top 20. The performances are top-notch, and of course, Anton Corbijn's imagery is gorgeous. Even for people who have no idea who Joy Division is, it would still be an engrossing film.

17. Heist: Why do I love David Mamet so much? I have no idea, but I do. Out of all the films he has released this decade, I think Heist is the most solid throughout and the most entertaining. Gene Hackman is fantastic in this one.

16. In America: Oh my god I love that movie... That's all I really have to say.

15. Royal Tennenbaums: My favorite entry from arguably the most unique director of our generation. Wes Anderson's films defy any sort of classification and he gets at least one really stellar performance in every film.

14. Let The Right One In: Just check out my previous review of this one. THE BEST VAMPIRE MOVIE. EVER. The cover art never lies.

13. Zodiac: This one has one of the creepiest scenes I've ever witnessed, and its not even that kind of flick. I can't even think about the basement scene without squirming. David Fincher is one of my favorite directors and he was spot on with this one. Mark Ruffalo scored again as well.

12. Lost In Translation: Sofia Coppola: the master of mood. This movie reminds me of a better time, a time before Scarjo didn't know how famous she was going to be and all the annoying things she would say. Her performance is restrained, innocent and very good. Bill Murray is more than we probably ever thought he could be. It is touching, funny and sweet and still fresh every time I see it.

11. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind: Simply put, it is the best love story of our time (sorry Twilight). Told with an artists brush and child's imagination Eternal Sunshine is just a magnificent film.

10. The Fountain: This is a controversial one, but I was really blown away by The Fountain. The story, the score, the performances, the cinematography and the pacing all just grabbed me and didn't let go. I absolutely loved it. You may hate it, but that's cool.

09. Bourne Supremacy: Oh Jason Bourne, I do hope you and Paul Greengrass will continue to kill people with books and towels in my future. These films are just so badass and Supremacy was the one that took them to the next level. Anyone who doesn't have a problem with Greengrass' shaky cam and hasn't seen United 93 yet, really should. It's pretty startling. For that matter, Bloody Sunday as well.

08. Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair: I can't really even begin to get into it. Just amazing.

07. Amelie: Has there ever been a film more cute, funny, adorable, lovable and graceful than Amelie? Nope. Why was it left off of most critics tops of the decade list? No Idea.

06. Almost Famous: "Hold me closer Tiny Daaaaancer!" "Don't take drugs!" "Hey man, I'm incendiary too." "This explains.. so much." I could go on and on.

05. El Laberinto del Fauno: Guillermo Del Toro is a genius, and Pan's Labyrinth is his best film as a whole. If you haven't seen this yet, please check it out. It is a painfully exquisite movie and is as an adult fairy tale set within post-Civil War Spain. Doesn't that sound intriguing!?

04. UP: Well, we all knew a Pixar film would make the list. My top 3 are UP, Ratatouille and Finding Nemo. A lot of people will choose Wall-E, and while I liked that one too, it didn't do it for me like these other three did. It was hard to choose, but I have to give the nod to Up for the most heart wrenching first ten minutes, Doug and for a whimsy that the other three couldn't match.

03. Punch Drunk Love: Ok ok ok, so look. Punch Drunk Love is one of the most startling, gorgeous and inventive films of the decade and possibly ever. If you don't like it, that's fine,everyone is different. Such is art. PT Anderson molds the moving image and sound (both score and dialogue) together like no one I've ever seen. I could barely catch my breath in the theatre. I gave this the nod over There Will Be Blood because I've watched it probably 6 or 7 times, and while I purchased There Will Be Blood I still haven't brought myself to watch it again.

02. Children of Men: Wow. This one hit me right in the gut. With one or two of the best scenes of all time, breathtaking cinematography, top notch acting and a post-apocalyptic story that seems frighteningly within reach Children of Men was pretty awesome.

01. Inglorious Basterds: Did I put this number one because it was the title I saw most recently? Probably, but I don't care. It is a masterpiece and it deserves to be in the running for number one of the decade. Hate him or love him, Quentin Taratino showed with Basterds that he truly is great and one of the top directors in history.

The best of the rest: I could have easily switched out any from above with any of the titles below. It was close, but in the end, I chose the films I would easily pick up off the shelf and watch again. It was hard leaving Millions down here.

Into the Wild

The Visitor

Millions

Brick

Stranger Than Fiction

A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints

The Fall

Daywatch

Shotgun Stories

Lars and the Real Girl

Me and You and Everyone We Know

The Pianist

25th Hour

Million Dollar Baby

United 93

There Will Be Blood

Wet Hot American Summer

Top Films I Watched In 2009

Best from 2009 I've seen so far (..but mine goes to 11..):

11. The Hangover - I haven't laughed this hard at a movie in a really long time, and that alone allows it to crack the top eleven. It has its flaws, but the highs are very much worth it. God I love Zach Galifianakis.

10. Public Enemies - In no way a perfect film, and in no way Michael Mann's best, but I love Michael Mann and I love Johnny Depp; put them together and mix in a little bad ass John Dillinger story and you have a very fun time.

09. Whip It: I really enjoyed this flick. Everyone is perfect in their roles, and you can tell they had a great time making it. It follows a formula, but then again doesn't, and it really gets you rooting for Bliss. It's funny, its touching and it's true to life.

08. Star Trek - I never liked Star Trek, but now I do. I'm pretty sure that was the intention of this re-boot of the series and it succeeded in every aspect. To be completely cheesy, this was one hell of a ride. It also did a superb job mixing in the old with the new.

07. Funny People - I don't get it, what was everyone's problem with this one? Ok, so its two and a half hours, and its not a movie about a major war...so? This is definitely a drama wrapped up in a crude comedy (but less crude then Apatow's previous outings), and it showcases what Judd Apatow could be as a director. There are some surprisingly beautiful scenes and photography. I loved it, but I'm also a sucker for dramatic Adam Sandler

06. Adventureland: Another true to life coming of age story that really nails it. A great soundtrack, a great cast (can Martin Starr do any wrong?) and Ryan Reynolds is suprisingly not annoying.

05. Coraline: The story isn't really that deep, but it doesn't have to be either. The beauty and artisty of the animation stands alone. Henry Selick delivers another gem and it makes me wonder how much he had to do with the success of The Nightmare Before Christmas (since the Burton directed Corpse Bride, which has the same imagery and story style of Nightmare, was kind of a dud).

04. Where the Wild Things Are: This was exactly what I thought it was going to be. It didn't hit me as hard as I thought it would, but it is a gorgeous piece of filmmaking. As Maurice Sendak says himself, Spike Jonze at no time underestimates children. Not all adults, and not all children will like this, but that doesn't mean it's not a perfect adaptation of the short story.

03. Drag Me To Hell: I have never been this giddy during a movie. Maybe it was just the day I went to see it, maybe it was just a perfect escape, and maybe it really is that good of a fun horror flick. I didn't like it any less the second time, and the opening scene was just as gripping. It's such a great blend of ridiculously over the top horror, humor and jump out at you scares. It made my day, and I hope it makes yours too.

02. Up: If you haven't seen this yet, what are you waiting for!?! It really was a toss up between this and my number one. It's hard to choose between two polar opposite genres (which will be interesting in this years Oscars as well). The story is so touching, the opening ten minutes is actually gut wrenching and doug is one of the greatest animated characters ever (but I'm biased because I love dogs). Go see it now!

01. Inglourious Basterds: To confirm the ponder in your last line of the film; yes this is your masterpiece Quentin Tarantino. Pulp Fiction is great, Kill Bill is great, but Inglourious Basterds is an instant classic that in my opinion surpasses both of those previous outings. There are probably three scenes in this film that would be in my top ten of all time. The acting is top notch, and Taratino's dialogue driven scenes never become too much. It's a perfect balance of period drama and action. Undoubtedly the best of the year, and I not only hope Cristoph Waltz gets best supporting actor, but it should be in the running for best picture as well. It would be pretty fun to see what QT has to say during an acceptance speech.

The Best from the past that I watched this year:

05. Lars and the Real Girl (07')

04. Katyn (07')

03. Rachel Getting Married (08')

02. Snow Angels (07')

01. Let the Right One In (08')

The rest of 2009 that Sam has kept me from watching but I'm excited to see.

The Road

An Education

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Ink

Sherlock Holmes - I actually just saw this the day after Christmas. It was good and I can't wait for the sequel, but I wasn't good enough to crack the top 11. Definitely a fun time at the movies.

Trucker

Goodbye Solo

Humpday

9

Big Fan

The Hurt Locker

Food, Inc.

(500) Days of Summer

District 9

A Serious Man

A Single Man

Invictus

Up in the Air

Me and Orson Welles

Repulsion: 3.5 Stars

**I know it seems that I like almost ever movie I watch, but I swear I just know what I like. I'm also not paid for this, so I don't go see every new release. I rarely watch random movies that I don't think I will like, or which receive bad reviews, unless recommended by a trusted friend (although Teresa failed me on The House Bunny) or has an element I know I'm a sucker for (ie: vampires).

Plot: (taken from Criterion's website) Roman Polanski followed up Knife in the Water with this controversial, chilling tale of psychosis. Catherine Deneuve is Carol, a fragile, frigid young beauty cracking up in her London flat when left alone by her vacationing sister. Repulsion is one of cinema’s most shocking psychological thrillers.

I definitely agree with the last sentence of the summary above. Repulsion is surprisingly shocking especially when taken into context of when it was released. We even learn in the supplements that a soft-core pornography distributor looking for a break released the film. While it does desire to repulse us, the film doesn't completely turn the viewer off with it's imagery, but rather pulls us into Carol's mind with a slow build up of tension.

Repulsion can definitely be categorized as an art house film. It is not a title that you're just going to decide to watch again on a Saturday afternoon because it's oh so fun to watch. While it is a bit stuffy at times, Polanski does an excellent job with pacing. He lets this woman slowly unravel in front of you, turning up the tension, the disturbing imagery and pace as the film marches on.

For those who want everything spelled out in black and white (no pun intended) you'll be disappointed with this one. There are subtle hints at time for the reasoning behind Carol's madness, no explanation is ever given, and no background about the character is given either. All we know is that she has a sister, that sister is having an affair with a married man, there is a young gentleman trying to court Carol, and she has a family. The how long's, the why's and the who's are never divulged. That is the point though; your reaction to the events has a lot to do with the meaning of the work. Polanski works with a lot of textures and food imagery to get his point across and even in black and white the nauseating feeling still gets across effectively. I'm sure many papers have been written about the themes of love, sex, subconscious, sensuality, and female oppression etc., found in the film. However, that's not what I'm here for.

Repulsion is a very solid film, and I was happy to discover how much I enjoyed it. I've been catching up on a lot of classics lately, only to find their greatness hasn’t seemed to stand the test of time in my eyes. It isn't the greatest, and it's more of an artistic exercise than anything else, but should definitely be seen by any fan of Polanski or psychological "thrillers" to see where some modern films get their inspiration.

Inglourious Basterds: 4 Stars

Plot: During WWI in Nazi occupied France, a young Jewish girl escapes the brutal assassination of Nazi Col. Hans Landa. Concurrently, a top secret squad called the "Inglourious Basterds" are on a quest to kills as many Nazi's as possible. Three years later the paths of all three cross in a plot to take down all of he high ranking Nazi officials, including Hitler himself, in one fell swoop.

Inglourious Basterds is an excellent film and it's a hell of a lot of fun to boot.

Quentin Tarantino is a diehard movie buff full of, arguably, useless knowledge. He uses this information as inspiration and the foundation for his films, especially Inglourious Basterds. First, the film borrows its name from a 1978 Italian War movie (set during the same time, but with a different plot and correct spelling). Second, one can't help reminisce about The Dirty Dozen while viewing this group of ragtag soldiers. Finally, it opens with a very spaghetti western-esque score, credit sequence and initial scene. In addition to that, there are so many self-realization cinema moments that had me laughing out loud. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is just another reason why his films are so fun to watch for any fan of the medium.

The filmmakers (I chose that word wisely as Tarantino uses the same editor for all his movies, and editing is a far under-appreciated task in the movie industry. I feel this Oscar award should be just as important as directing) have created a World War II dramedy, including campy edits, bursts of ultra-violence and Oscar worthy performances all while staying balanced as a whole. That's not easy to do. The story at the core of the film, which links all of the characters together, could exist in a completely separate film as a successful drama. Basterds could have easily become a caricature of itself with no soul, as the trailer suggests, but Tarantino steers clear of this and constructs a main character that viewers can really connect with and most importantly root for.

Keep an eye on Christoph Waltz during award season. His performance as Col. Hans Landa is unforgettable. He is evil, maniacal, scary and funny all while not being too cartoonish. The casting directors for Tarantino always seem to find great foreign actors for his films that turn in dynamite performances as well. French actress Melanie Laurent as Shoshanna Dreyfus is understated and elegant and almost steals the film without you knowing it.

I'd also like to take this review as an opportunity to discuss the most frequent negative feedback that Tarantino receives, which is the argument that he is all style over substance. I'd just like to say there is nothing wrong with being all style over substance, but I also think his films have more substance that people give him credit for. All of his major works from Jackie Brown through Inglourious Basterds feature empowered female protagonists, and while not all of them are very deep, that fact alone is significant for the history of cinema and will be studied in future film classes.

So to summarize, go see Inglourious Basterds as soon as possible. Its fun, tense, action packed, well crafted/acted and a joy to watch. Oh, and don't be turned off by it's run time, it flew by faster than a lot of one hundred minute dramas out there.

The Hangover: 3 stars

Plot: Four men go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Three of them wake up the next day and can't find the groom. Complicating things is that they are so hung over that they can't remember anything, one is missing a tooth, there is a tiger in the bedroom, a baby in the closet and they have a police car instead of the one they drove in with. They have one day to find the groom and find out what happened before the wedding.

The Hangover is an interesting film to review. It is unbalanced and pretty straightforward visually, however there are parts that are pee in your pants funny. Even though there is plenty to fault from a cinematic point of view, it's hard to give a movie that makes you laugh so hard a bad review.

This is a film that I was hoping didn't give away all the funniest moments in the trailer. The Hangover definitely didn't fail me in that aspect. That is why all the points found in the trailer are in my plot summary above. There are plenty more laughs and insane situations that you definitely won't see coming. The interesting thing is that all of this craziness is wrapped up in a pretty straight forward and understandable way, which is kind of refreshing and makes everything that occurred a little more believable.

There is a reason I chose the movie poster above, and that is because Zach Galifianakis absolutely steals the show and is the reason why I would recommend this movie to people outside of the target audience of the studio. His delivery and screen presence is fantastic and I was very happy to see him deliver on the big screen as I've been a fan of his for years. He seems to make even the more immature and vulgar moments more intelligent.

One of the biggest issues I have with The Hangover is it's continued use of offensive words that basically have no point. Those words are the 'F' word for homosexual and the 'R' word for people with a developmental disability. This is one of the problems I had with Todd Phillips' Old School as well, during the opening scene when Luke Wilson enters the taxi. These words are more casually tossed around in The Hangover, but still with no real comedic point. I can imagine the argument from the writers is that the type of people portrayed in the film would use words in real life. The problem with this is that the film isn't a drama or a character study, it's a comedy. Simply using the words without a situational reason, simply isn't funny. There is one instance where the 'R' word is used in a modified way by Zach Galifianakis' character and it's actually funny because its used in context with his character and we're laughing (hopefully) at the character's awkwardness.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. The Hangover would actually be an interesting film to dissect on many politically charged levels, but I simply don't have the time. I'll leave that for more adventurous film classes. The bottom line is that The Hangover is laugh out loud funny on plenty of non offensive levels. I could go on talking about specific moments, but that would ruin all the fun for you. I'm looking forward to the dvd to see all the hilarious out takes there are bound to be. Make sure you stay for the beginning of the credits as well for some more raunchy fun.