Celluloid #90

In Theaters

Inception (2010) Nolan - So all though the hype is waning and the backlash perhaps starting, I found this film entertaining, visually appealing, and overall a summer blockbuster well above average caliber. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a type of thief who steals people's ideas while in their dreams. One client approaches him to instead implant an idea into a competitor's mind, a particularly risky assignment. As the audience, we are cleverly taught the rules of dreamworld and end up traveling four or five layers deep into someone's sub-conscience. Even at 2 and 1/2 hours, I never found myself wanting to check the time, and it doesn't hurt that Joseph Gordon Levitt is especially handsome in the film. 4.5/5

the Kids Are All Right (2010) Cholodenko - So while Inception lives up to the hype, I really think critics are peeing their pants too much over this film. I think it's good, but nothing particularly special. A dysfunctional family dramedy where two lesbians, Nic and Jules, are raising two teenagers. When the older teenager turns 18, she and her brother seek out their sperm donor/biological father. The storyline gets a little predictable, but thankfully avoids many clichéd paths that it could have gone down. All around the acting is really good, and even features a small part played by Yaya from cycle 3 of ANTM. 3.5/5

In Home

Cries and Whispers (1972) Bergman - I loved all the red and white in this film, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood to watch Bergman, because I got really bored with the story. Three sisters are all under the same roof because one of them is dying. Another sister is carrying on an affair with the doctor. Besides that, lots of talking and pointing out the faults in one another. 3/5

Detour (1945) Ulmer - Al is trying to make his way out to California to meet up with his singer-girlfriend. He doesn't have much money, so he resorts to hitchhiking across the country. Everything is going fine until one of his drivers accidentally dies. In a series of bad decisions, Al decides to keep the car and take the guy's clothes. Unfortunately, his luck gets so much worse when he picks up a hitchhiker of his own. 3.5/5

the Fly (1986) Cronenberg - Seth is a scientist who has created a teleportation device. Unfortunately, when he tests the machine on himself, a fly is also present causing a really disgusting genetic fusion. Of course, with Cronenberg at the helm, you know the body/flesh horror is going to be really good, and this one gets pretty grotesque. I had a lot of fun squeaming on the couch. 4/5

Heavenly Creatures (1994) Jackson - Juliet is the new girl at school. She and Pauline become fast friends in part due to their leg and lung illnesses. The girls become obsessed with the idea of "the 4th World" and find much escapism in the form of a story about a royal family. One can see their need for escapism because adolescence is full of family and sexual drama, but this female friendship begins to go awry. Outsiders worry about homosexuality, but really everyone should be on alert for their plan of MURDER! Kate Winslet's debut film. 4/5

Lady Vengeance (2005) Park - Chan-wook Park makes the most visually interesting and beautiful films out of anyone working today. I love the pairing of the vivid aesthetics with strange often bloody stories. A woman gets out of jail after serving a 13-year sentence for kidnapping and killing a child. After she gets out, she arranges for the parents whose children were killed to take revenge on the actual killer. 4/5

Vanilla Sky (2001) Crowe - After watching Inception, my sister made comparisons with this film. I hadn't seen this since it was originally in theaters and was aware that it has generally been increasingly maligned as the years pass. Watching this again, I didn't hate it. In fact, I was pretty willing to go along until the last third or fourth of the film when the IT guy comes around, and so much explaining happens. Also, I cannot stand Cameron Diaz. As an idea, I think the dream/death realm is interesting, but it just makes me feel like I should probably watch the Spanish film that this was based off. 3/5