Predators

Disappointed...

I don't think I came in expecting "too much". The original Predator still casts its shadow on today's action movies, there was no point expecting something anywhere close.

All I wanted was some balls out action with macho commandos. And I got that. Along with some very nice ideas.
But things bothered me. I don't mind stereotypical in this context, but some characters just stuck out. I didn't feel they belonged there (as an example, no offence to Dany Trejo, who I'm looking forward to watching right in his place in Machete!).
And what also bugged me were all the references to the first Predator (from weapons to situations to music) and some obviously tongue in cheek moments. I would have thought that it would have worked so much better as a no-nonsense movie (which the 1st Predator was).

On the upside, Andrien Brody was quite credible as an action man and with Alice Braga had beleivable characters. The movie is also very competently shot and as I mentioned some good ideas come in the mix: the initial freefall, the revelation of whre the team is, the fights (although I didn't really buy the samurai... Then again Danny Glover killed one), the place to the inital Predator, the origin of Alice Braga's character.
One could argue that actually the movie delivers in the right moments...

But on the whole, even small annoyances tend to spoil the sauce...
So I can't help to feel that this is a missed opportunity...

Inception

I have no idea how he does it, but (almost) every Christopher Nolan has made have had the same effect on me, when the credits roll: a chill (of pleasure) down the spine, a huge smile on my face & my mind ebullient by the spectacle I was given to watch...

Inception is no exception.

It's one of those movies that I find myself embarrassed to talk about, because I can't help to have a sort of maniacal smile on my face, need to speak loud with big hand gestures, because I find it so good I can only be passionate about it.

What's also amazing about his films is that he hasn't yet repeated himself. There's something in common. An elegance in the direction, a definite love of mind games, some fairly twisted (yet likeable) characters, but it always takes place in a different context. A film noir, a super hero movie, a magic trick...
In this occasion it's a heist movie. Ocean's 11, only by Nolan.

It's less of a puzzle than, say, Memento, as you know pretty much from the beginning where you stand. No magic powder thrown in your eyes either.
But don't get me wrong, it's no less groundbreaking. It feels almost wrong to reduce this as an action movie, because it takes such a fresh and cerebral approach to it.

Visually, it's stunning with visions that are from dreams yet grounded in reality (I guess in the same way that the Batman movies were realistic in a way).
And this being an action movie, there are some crazy set pieces, that 1) made me wonder how they did that and 2) were simply mind blowing. In some aspects, it beats Matrix to its own game (although they actually don't really play in the same park).

DiCaprio yet again confirms what a fine actor he is, with a performance that just might be his most relaxed to date (in the films I've seen of him at least, to illustrate, he's got very intense performances in The Departed or Shutter Island). But the rest of the cast is also to credit. I know I always tend to say that but just have a look at the cast: Helen Page, Joseph Gordon-Lewitt (if you haven't seen Brick, go see it), Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy... So much talent in just a few names...

And as for the concepts developped, just don't get me started. Shall I say that, as usual, the film isn't really throwing a "message" at the audience, yet the ideas raise so many questions, just choose how metaphysical you want to get...

I can't think of any way I could see something better this year...
Strange how I remembered thinking that when walking out of The Dark Knight...

Update: after mulling over it during the night, it might be more of a puzzle than 1st thought... :)

Toy Story 3

The 1st 2 Toy Story were definitely a tough act to follow...
Then again, excellence is the least to expect from Pixar.
So it comes as no surprise that Toy Story 3 comes out as an incredible end to an incredible trilogy.

Strangely enough, the only drawback would be that the 1st 2 came 1st, therefore taking the surprise away. So there are expected moments that do happen and therefore could feel like "box ticking".
Yet the movie never repeat any of its predecessors and still applies the subtle mixture of comedy, action and more nostalgic moment, making it accessible to kids of course but equally enjoyable (possibly more emotionnal even) to any adult that once had favorite toys...

New characters are introduced and well developped (Ken, as the fashion-obsessed bad boy refusing to be a girl's toy is a stand out for me...), but never at the depends of the main characters, still strongly in focus. The script moves seamlessly from clever idea to clever idea, integrating all its references and tributes into the story.

From a technical point of view, it's full marks on all counts, an amazing achievement, especially considering the standard it had to sustain.
But this movie is also more than the sum of its parts, for everything the story of those toys tell about us, our inner child.

So it's yet again a big thank you to Pixar for delivering such a ride, yet a heartbreak to have to say bye to those characters... All in all, worth it!

A quote...

"The reason Memento worked for audiences is that it was a tremendously emotional film. Which had nothing to do with me. It was all Guy. This genius actor comes into my film-noir maze and is playing it for real. And in playing the truth of that, he opened it up for the audience. It never would have succeeded otherwise."

That's from (in case you didn't guess) Christopher Nolan and although I think he's also a genius in his own right, he's spot on there...