'Inception' a first-rate thriller that succeeds on all levels

There was a lot of hype about Inception leading up to its release, especially about its plot and special effects. The film lived up to my expectations of it, and seeing it was a very satisfying movie-going experience.

The plot primarily deals with the manipulation of dreams and how people can exploit them. I will not give away too many of the details because I do not want to spoil it for anybody thinking about seeing it (click here for a deeper review of the film). However, the subject matter is quite interesting, and it was delivered in an entertaining way.

There has been some buzz about the plot being too complicated. I did not see it that way at all. Because of the nature of the subject matter, it required several plot lines to be unfolded at the same time and in some cases, it happened fast. Still, I did not find the story difficult to follow though I would recommend that people pay close attention to information provided at the beginning of the film. It was refreshing to watch a film that challenged the audience to use its brain.

Leonardo DiCaprio continues to be reliable when it comes to delivering a good performance. He was excellent, and he has blossomed into much more than a heartthrob in the last 10 years. He continues to align himself with excellent directors. Christopher Nolan, who directed The Dark Knight, wrote and directed Inception. Of course, DiCaprio has also made four films with Martin Scorsese.

The film is worth seeing. To get the full impact of it, I recommend seeing it in a theater instead of waiting for it to come out on DVD. It is a visual film that deserves to be seen on a big canvas.

'Shutter Island' should be on your list of movies to see

I finally got around to seeing the latest Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island. I have written before that I am a big fan of his films (click here for more on that). As has been the case in his last several films, he uses Leonardo DiCaprio as his leading actor, and the collaboration once again pays off.

DiCaprio plays a federal marshal assigned to investigate the disappearance of a woman at a prison/hospital that houses the most dangerous and disturbed people in the country. I won't reveal the ending, but it provided a nice twist to the story. As I have written in the past, I do not review films here, so if you want an in-depth review click here.

Scorsese and DiCaprio have quite a good thing going. Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed are all first-rate films in which they have worked together. Apparently, DiCaprio has replaced Robert DeNiro as his actor of choice (however, this comment may not be entirely fair because DeNiro was scheduled to be in The Departed but had to drop out. Martin Sheen took his place).

If you have a chance, go see this film.

The Martin Scorsese film festival

On Friday, I surveyed my agenda for the weekend and realized that I did not have much to do. Because of that, I dedicated my weekend to watching the films of my favorite director, Martin Scorsese. I had wanted to do this for quite a while. Everything began Friday night.

Friday night
Raging Bull – For some reason, I can only watch this film at night in a darkened room. Since it was shot in black and white, I assume I do this to enhance the sharpness of the colors. Robert De Niro won the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of the explosive boxer Jake LaMotta. However, Scorsese made it all possible. I particularly like the boxing scenes. The scenes were shot from an innovative array of angles. The use of wild animal sounds as part of the crowd noise elevated the savageness of the fighting. Scorsese lost the Oscar for Best Director to Robert Redford for Ordinary People. I don't understand it either.

Saturday
GoodFellas – This is my favorite Scorsese film. It reunited him with De Niro and Joe Pesci (who played De Niro's brother in Raging Bull). However, this film is mostly told through the eyes of Ray Liotta's character (Henry Hill). Scorsese used narration and a rich musical soundtrack to advance the story through a generation of mobsters in New York. Especially effective was the use of the piano instrumental from 'Layla' to guide the viewer through a series of murders orchestrated by De Niro's character (Jimmy Conway). Conway had used those victims for a multi-million dollar robbery, and he killed them so he would not have to pay them. Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

Casino – De Niro and Pesci re-teamed with Scorsese on this one. When it was released in 1995, some unfairly panned this as a sequel to GoodFellas. It obviously was not, but it was another behind the curtain look at the Mob. This time, it dealt with the Mob's operations in Las Vegas back in the 1970s. Scorsese coaxed the performance of a lifetime out of Sharon Stone who portrayed a hustler who married De Niro's character. Stone won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama.

Stroker Ace – Just wanted to make sure you were paying attention. Actually, a double feature of Stroker Ace and Road House would make for an entertaining night (if you know what I mean).

The Departed – Of course, this is the film that got Scorsese his Oscar for Best Director. Though it ranks down the list somewhat of his great films, it was good that he won. For a while, it looked like the Academy would give him the Alfred Hitchcock treatment. In this one, Jack Nicholson played a crime boss, Leonardo DiCaprio played an undercover cop trying to nail him, and Matt Damon played a cop who was a rat for Nicholson. DiCaprio has grown a lot as an actor, and he was smart to align himself with Scorsese. He is no longer a pretty boy teen idol.

Sunday
The Aviator – Of his films, I believe this is Scorsese's most underrated one. DiCaprio was also in this, and it chronicled the early life of aviator Howard Hughes. It included some exciting flying scenes, but most importantly, the film captured the paradox of Hughes. The things that pushed him to greatness were the things that destroyed him. His obsessive-compulsive drive brought him success in Hollywood and in the air. However, he became a bed-ridden recluse late in life. The movie's best scenes are the filming of Hell's Angels, and the plane crash that resulted in serious injuries for Hughes.

The Last Waltz – As I close this weekend, I am watching The Last Waltz. It is the greatest rock and roll documentary ever made. Scorsese's talent is matched by The Band as this film chronicles their final concert. It's fantastic.

Good movies make good stocking stuffers

I like good films, and that pays off handsomely during Christmas because people know they can get me a movie on DVD if they can't think of anything else.

I got The Departed and Walk the Line this year, which I really appreciate. I saw both films when they originally ran in theaters, but I hadn't seen either since.

For those who can't recall, Walk the Line is the biography of Johnny Cash. I liked the film for many reasons, but especially because they did not try to whitewash the problems he had (drug addiction, legal problems, etc.). Too often, films like these focus too much on the good and the result is an unbalanced view of a person's life. Cash had problems like we all do.

The Departed was the film for which director Martin Scorsese won his long awaited Oscar. It is about organized crime in Boston, and it is not for the faint of heart. It also boasts a big name cast: Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and others.

Both films are worth checking out.