Weekend Movie Forecast: Inception Vs. The Sorceror's Apprentice

Inception is not The Dark Knight. The latter was a superhero action film injected with a dark, clinical sensibility that made it startlingly effective. Inception is a cold, convoluted, logic puzzle that has elements of an action film thrown into it after the fact. It is a good, not great film, but one that might have trouble finding an audience. Some of the teens who lined up for last night's IMAX midnight screening wearing their Joker T-shirts might have been faced with a coiled maze they had no desire to solve. For those who don't know the plot, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a skilled dream thief who has been hired to plant an idea into the mind of the son of a business mogul (played by the always engaging Cillian Murphy). The mission is a dangerous one and requires Cobb to assemble a ragtag group of brilliant criminals (cf. any well-made heist flick and you get the idea).It is very reassuring to know that there is a director like Christopher Nolan who is working within the Hollywood system and has the ability to dabble in dangerous subjects with a large budget, but after this film, we're not sure if he's going to get as much money. The special effects are great but it seems like they showed all of their "wow" centerpieces in the commercials, so don't expect anything beyond what you've already seen on television. DiCaprio is good at replicating his role from Shutter Island, Joseph Gordon-Levitt just looks great dressed to the nines and charmingly smirking every now and then, Michael Caine is nearly non-existent, Marion Cotillard just looks pouty and gorgeous, and Ellen Page seems like she wandered onto the set from a teen detective movie. The acting isn't amazing but it is more than enough to sustain an action movie where the entirety of emotional baggage is placed squarely on DiCaprio and Cotillard, who, for her part, helps humanize the film late in the game by filling the frame with a surprisingly sublime tenderness. If you're looking for an exploration of dreams in style of Bunuel or Lynch you're going to be disappointed. If you're looking for an action movie in the style of The Dark Knight you're going to be let down. But, if you're looking for a very entertaining, albeit overly thought-out, summer film, well, you're in luck. — Gothamist

Robert Horan

Published Jul 16, 2010

Modified Jul 16, 2010

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Click on the film stills above for more details and reviews on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include Inception, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno, Kisses, Standing Ovation, We Don't Care About Music Anyway, Wet Hot American Summer, andEl Topo