Monday, August 30, 2010

FILM REVIEWS: Inception and Lebanon


Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get to see some movies in the theatre. Even better, they were both excellent in an otherwise bad year for movies. The first was Inception, which I have been trying to see for weeks.

I won't give away anything from the story, in part because I can't explain it easily. Inception is one of those rare movies that creates a unique world, and lets you get lost in it. For the first 45 minutes, you will want to scream out, "Where the hell is the place?! Who the hell is that?! What the hell is going on here?!" Rest assured, you will get the answers and it will explain itself.

Movies like this tend to cause hours of discussion afterwords, and that's part of the fun. Like Dark City and 12 Monkeys, this is a film that demands repeat viewings. I thought it was brilliant.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)


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The next film I saw was Lebanon, an Israeli film that is playing in limited markets. This was may go down as one of the best war films I've ever seen.

The picture takes place entirely inside of a tank during the First Lebanense War. Think of it as Das Tank. The only view of the outside world is through the gunman's periscope; images that gradually become more and more horrifying as the film goes on. By the film's climax, the tension is almost unbearable.

The ending of the film is ambiguous, but you will be thinking of Lebanon long after the final credits have rolled.

MY REVIEW: ****
(PERFECTION)

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