Lights Out

Friday Night Lights – “Always”

The funny thing about saying goodbye to Friday Night Lights is that I’m not really sure when I started liking the show. I remember thinking the first season was overly melodramatic, and that the second season took some really stupid subplots and dragged them through more of the season than they should have. The third season upset me because the show’s dedication to making characters that were clearly in their 20s in the first season still high school students was bothersome. The fourth season was the dreaded paradigm shift, with new characters that weren’t instantly that likable. But by this fifth and final season, I couldn’t get enough of Friday Night Lights.

Friday Night Lights has always been about underdogs, be they individuals or an entire team, which is fitting because the show itself was an underdog. It never got the best ratings, despite being a great show with a dedicated fanbase and tons of critical adoration. But unlike so many great shows that buckled under the ratings monster, FNL endured, lasting long enough to let itself grow and finally deliver a satisfying conclusion to this big drama set in the small, fictional town of Dillon, Texas.

The heart of the show was always Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) and his wife Tammie (Spin City veteran Connie Britton). So it was a shame that so much of the finale was dedicated to an argument between the two. Not because they shouldn’t argue, because the whole point of the episode was how couples have to make compromises, but because the argument was so unnecessary. Everyone knew what the right decision to make was at the end of the penultimate episode, so this episode had to go out of its way to make the audience understand why Coach would want to go back to West Dillon. But I get that Coach’s time in Dillon has been the best he’s ever had, and it’s not easy to let go of that.

Of course everything is settled by State, as what kind of sports series would have conflicts that can’t be resolved by a championship? In the meantime, we got speedy conclusions for all the remaining season one holdovers: Matt proposes to Julie, Tyra somewhat rekindles with Tim, Tim makes peace with his family and decides to stay, Landry gets left alone, even though he had a more meaningful relationship with Tyra. All of our East Dillon friends found a home on the super team, even Buddy, Jr. and the other new guy who were set up as important characters but didn’t end up doing anything for the story. Luke gives his championship ring to Becky as he leaves for the military. All is well.

There’s still more to list, but that’s all getting pretty tedious. Needless to say, any of the plots that had made it as far as season five were put to rest. Basically I just wanted to post this review because I’ve come to really appreciate the time I got to spend with FNL. It was amazing to see how talented the cast became over the years, how well put-together the show remained. I’ll especially miss it’s marvelous score. I don’t particularly like football or high school melodrama, but someone this show made it work. For that, I’m grateful.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

Retrospecticus: The Coen Brothers

For over twenty years, Ethan and Joel Coen have defied modern conventions with some of the most unusual, bold, and inventive films around. They’ve tackled countless genres and reinvented themselves time and time again, making them some of the most innovative filmmakers of their era. In preparation of True Grit i have assembled this list of the duo’s complete filmography, which I will discuss in varying lengths. Just remember that these are like, my opinions man, so don’t take it too seriously.

Blood Simple (1984)

Where it all started, the eerie, neo noir, thriller, that is Blood Simple. It’s an impressive first film in many areas. The Cinematography (By future director Barry Sonnenfeld is increasingly ingenious), the score by Carter Burwell is excellent , the cast featuring; Frances McDormand, John Getz, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh (easily the best) to name a few are thrilling, and the suspense is never ending. The perfect film to begin a career of masterful filmmaking.

Raising Arizona (1987)

After their brooding debut, the Coen’s took on what would be their first of many genre blurring films, the dark comedy Raising Arizona. In any other hands this film could of been a huge misfire, but instead it went on to be one of the Coen’s most enduring comedies.

It’s a great setup when ex-con Hi McDunnough (Nicolas Cage) and ex-cop “Ed” (Holly Hunter) decide to kidnap one of the five sons of a wealthy furniture salesman, Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson). I mean in any other hands this project would sound like an instant failure, but the Coen’s were ahead of the curb with this one. From the dialogue, to the setting, to the supporting cast of nuts (John Goodman, William Forsythe, Randall Cobb) this film still stands out as a delightfully different comedy.

Miller’s Crossing (1990)

One of my rare departures from the general consensus, I find Miller’s Crossing to be a challenging film. Inspired by the hard boiled fiction of Dashiell Hammett, Miller’s Crossing is an intricately woven mystery thriller, but I find the dense plot hard to get into.

Though I’m definitely in the minority on this one, as the critics really fell for this gangster flick. One thing I think everyone can agree on is the performances. A shining moment for character actors like Gabriel Byrne, Albert Finney, and John Turturro as apposed to casting bigger names.

Barton Fink (1991)

I don’t know how the hell you’d classify this movie, but man what an experience. John Turturro is hilarious as the young and nervous title character, stressing over a script while inhabiting a dreary L.A. hotel that seems to have a life of it’s own. John Goodman is equally amusing as the mysterious insurance salesman Charlie and what follows is chaos of the best kind.

Masterfully layered, acted, and photographed. The ambiguity of all the visual symbolism leaves you with a lot of questions, but I like that. It gives you the opportunity to personally dissect all the details and make your own connections, very compelling.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

I think when people heard the Coen’s were taking on the absurdities of the business world they were anticipating something a tad, well smarter. Possibly a razor sharp satire or something more insightful, not an over-the-top, screwball comedy that knows no bounds. It’s penchant for being silly is in my eyes both it’s gift and curse. Either you’ll laugh at quirks like Jennifer Jason Leigh’s fast talking delivery and Tim Robbin’s air headed demeanor, or you won’t.

I can see why some dislike it’s silly nature, as it does tend to hamper the latter half of the film. Though I think it’s style and humor saves it, how could you not like Tim Robbins as a bumbling mail clerk who becomes the CEO of a big whig company? Anything with Paul Newman can’t be that half bad either, ooh or Coen Brother’s pal Bruce Campbell. The Coen’s probably didn’t win any new fans with this one, but they definitely furthered their reputation for being unconventional.

Fargo (1996)

If you could take one film to sum up the Coen’s entire career, it would probably be Fargo. For no other Coen film features the duo’s trademark humor, suspense, and atmosphere as well as this classic dark comedy. Frances McDormand stars in the role of her life as the likable, humble and humorous police chief Marge Gunderson and shines in almost every scene. The supporting cast is equally impressive with the likes of William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi and the very creepy Peter Stormare.

The laughs are big, the thrills are nonstop, the setting is beautiful, and the story is timeless. This film is more or less the definition of dark comedy and never fails at entertaining, while giving you something to think about, oh ya you bet cha.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

I don’t think many would argue that this is the Coen’s most popular film and why not? The characters are refreshingly unique and ridiculous and are constantly put into completely unpredictable situations. It’s the little details more than anything that fans remember; The Dude’s interests, Walter’s stories about faith and war, Donnie’s incessant questions and all the other quirks. It’s spawned an entire culture of swanky fandom and burrowed itself deep into pop culture with it’s quotes and overall style.

The Big Lebowski essentially plays out like a stoner mystery movie. It’s a dysfunctional, rambling, series of events that perfectly suits it’s dysfunctional characters. You never know what The Dude will encounter next and although that results in a bit of a sloppy storyline, it’s a whole bag of fun to watch. Jeff Bridges is arguably in the role of his life and yet he’s still almost upstaged by the immensely talented John Goodman. There’s so much to talk about with this film that I won’t even try. Just kickback with a White Russian, blast some Creedence, and then watch The Big Lebowski

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

Homer’s Odyssey meets the Great Depression in the deep south? Now that’s a recipe for a comedy of epic proportions. O Brother Where Art Thou may have been and still may be the most daring Coen production assembled. A period piece set against such a vast setting, would mainstream audiences be ready to see the Coens take on such a big Hollywood project? Thankfully they did and more! George Clooney leads a great cast of misfits, the visuals are jaw dropping, and the story has a timeless feel to it.

This is a film you can enjoy on many different levels. One, you could just enjoy it as a comedy about three bumbling convicts (George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson) running into a series of misadventures, or two, as something rich with visual metaphors and parallels to classic literature, it’s surprisingly complex. Can’t forget that soundtrack arranged by T-Bone Burnett either, classic.

The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

The fact this film is constantly overlooked and perhaps the least known Coen film is almost too perfect. It’s a subtle film and title practically sums up the whole thing. A subdued Billy Bob Thornton plays barber Ed Crane, a simple man who inexplicably becomes involved in both blackmail and murder. Set against the back drop of 1940s Santa Rosa, California and filmed in stunning black and white, The Man Who Wasn’t There is a chilling tribute to film noir. The mood is quiet but unnerving and I have to say this may be my favorite Carter Burwell musical score for a Coen Brothers movie.

It’s pacing is slow and its payoff may not bewhat you’d expect, but the story is compelling and the acting is pitch perfect. Thornton doesn’t even have to say anything to bring you into the scene and seasoned pros like Frances McDormand, James Gandolfini, and my favorite Michael Badaluco as Ed’s overly talkative brother-in-law, keep it very interesting.

Intolerable Cruelty (2003)

Sometimes it seems like the Coens wont rest until they’ve tackled every genre. Intolerable Cruelty just happens to be the duo’s stab at the romantic comedy, often considered one of their weaker efforts, it’s fluff but it’s fun. George Clooney turns up the Clooney charm as divorce attorney Miles Massey, infamous as the inventor of the “Massey Prenup”. Though things get messy when he starts to fall for his clients wife Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jone), which only further tailspins into deception.

The story that develops here is actually fairly original, for it’s not so original premise. The twists and turns are well devised and it’s two beautiful celebrities are entertaining to watch. The supporting cast is a mixed bag, I mean I love Edward Herrmann as Miles’ client and Geoffrey Rush is fine, though his role feels small, but Cedric the Entertainer wasn’t doing it for me and Billy Bob Thornton is okay, but his character is a little hard to swallow. Intoelrable Cruelty is easy on the eyes, but no more than a footnote when looking at the rest of the Coen filmography.

The Ladykillers (2004)

Even when the Coen’s misfire, they do it with style. The Ladykillers is easily the duo’s worst film; the characters are broad with one note personalities, the laughs are far too few, and there doesn’t seem to be much heart to it. Really it was hardly necessary as the original 1955 heist film is considered a classic. That all said this film still has the pleasure of being coated with that Coen shine. Roger Deakins cinematography is top notch, Carter Burwell and T-Bone Burnett’s score is befitting and it’s just approached with such a unique manner. Plus it’s got Tom Hanks, and even Hank’s in a bad movie is fun to some extent.

No Country For Old Men (2007)

Razor sharp thriller, faithful literary adaptation, Oscar winner, what else is there to say about No Country for Old Men? It’s a modern American classic that goes for the jugular while simultaneously operating on a philosophical level. It’s talented novelist Cormac McCarthy’s words brought to life in such a thrilling way, that it actually surpasses his original work. The Blue collared banter between Llewelyn (Josh Brolin) and his wife Carla Jean (Kelly McDonald ) is priceless and Tommy Lee Jones is strong in the role of the old school Sheriff Tom Bell. Although it’s Javier Bardem who steals the show, in his academy award winning role as villainous hitman Anton Chigurh, gives me the creeps just thinking about it.

This has quickly become the Coen brothers film dearest to my heart. It doesn’t quite have the humor of past Coen works, but it’s one of the best thrillers of it’s era and my favorite film of the 2000s, god I wanna watch it right now!

Burn After Reading (2008)

Following up their big Oscar Win, the Coens returned to form with the typical, quirky, dark comedy that is Burn After Reading. More or less a spoof on the espionage thriller genre, Burn After Reading features all your usual Coen collaborators, playing your typical oddball Coen characters. It’s hard to pick a favorite when you have so many talented stars acting so silly. You got George Clooney as the sickeningly smug former U.S. Marshall, Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt as a pair of bumbling gym employees, John Malkovich and Tilda Swinton as the icy cold couple, it’s all the stuff you love to see in a Coen Bros. flick.

A Serious Man (2009)

Perhaps the most personal work from Ethan and Joel yet, set in their homestate of Minnesota during the 1960s, A Serious Man is an offbeat comedy about life, death, sex, faith and everything else that can go sour when you’re simply trying to live a just life.

Michael Stuhlbarg gives an unforgettable performance as professor Larry Gopnik, who despite his efforts, always seems to get the short end of the stick. His wife (Sari Lennick) wants a traditional jewish divorce, his reckless brother Arthur (Richard Kind) wont leave the couch, one of his students maybe blackmailing him and Larry can’t seem to get any answers to his woes on life.

Upon first viewing I was actually disappointed by this film. I loved the humor and style, but the ending seemed so abrupt and dark, but as I’ve come to understand more of what’s under the surface, I’ve really come to love this film. It’s so unlike any other comedy about dysfunctional families, with it’s rich metaphors and meanings permeating through the tension of it’s characters. It just goes to show that even after 20 odd years, the Coen’s haven’t skipped a beat.

What Lies Ahead?
True Grit is the latest from the duo and I’m sure it will be another interesting entry in this diverse filmography. Look for a review from Colin coming soon.

I’m yet to see the Coen’s short for the the film Paris, je t’aime, but not for long, Otteni out.

The Rock of Life

Rock Band 3

With Rock Band 3, Harmonix has reached the logical conclusion for music games. Guitar Hero popularized the genre, Rock Band made it a party game, Rock Band 2 showed how one game could be a platform for content. Now they introduce keyboards and a pro mode to teach gamers how to really play their instruments. While I probably won’t ever actually get to play with the special Rock Band guitar or drums, I am certain that those modes are as competent as everything else in this package, which is easily the greatest music game of all time.

Not that the title was hard to win, since in my mind the previous holder was Rock Band 2 (yes, The Beatles: Rock Band was very special too). The way Harmonix has kept the Rock Band platform interesting with DLC while Neversoft has destroyed the Guitar Hero franchise like a 1,000 lbs pumpkin smashing a car, meant that basically they had to not fuck up Rock Band 3 to make it great. And they did.

You’ll notice things are different right from the get-go. The opening video, usually an exciting CG venture in these games, is this time real life people jamming out in some city. The game’s interface, usually very clean, has sacrificed some of its sleekness to offer more options. Players can now drop in and out whenever they want (even in the middle of songs) and it is super easy to move what instrument your profile is signed in on or change your character. The process of playing music has never been simpler, and that streamlining makes this the ideal party game.

Since the first game you’ve always been able to make your own band, but your group has a bigger presence this time around. The members are usually chilling in the background while you mess with options and of course they still are the ones playing the music under the clutter of four instrument tracks and vocals. This gives you the sense that you are always playing as your band, like everything you do counts toward something – and it does. The other two games had discreet tour and quick play modes, where quick play didn’t count toward anything but high scores. In Rock Band 3 there still is a tour mode, but you’ll only have to play a few gigs until you finish a tour. The real focus is on challenges, which you can complete at any time. This was an extremely intelligent design decision, basically giving players the career mode if they wanted, but also making it so it never feels like your time is wasted.

Besides the pro modes (and vocal harmonies, which aren’t really new) the biggest new addition is the keyboard. The device itself is great, two full octaves of keys that feel like proper keyboard keys that you can wear like a keytar or just sit with it on your lap. You can play using just five keys, which is a lot like playing guitar or bass, or you can play in pro mode, in which you have to use all the keys, which is a lot like actually playing piano. The regular stuff is easy enough to get into, but playing on pro is quite the challenge. I could see people using the game to develop the basic skills to get into playing the real instrument.

So there are 83 songs on the disc. It’s a pretty crazy mix of songs, with really the only unifying theme being that a lot of them seem to have been chosen because of they’re keyboard part. Which is good, since none of the existing DLC supports keyboards yet, although supposedly you will be able to upgrade that at some point. I was able to find plenty of songs I love (seriously, “In a Big Country,” “Walk of Life,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “Space Oddity,” I could go on) and even the stuff I don’t care so much for isn’t that bad. With a great mix on the disc, plus the ability to export most of the songs from Rock Bands 1 and 2, AC/DC, Lego and Green Day and the amazing selection of DLC plus the stuff on Rock Band Network, surely you’ll find more than enough to keep yourself entertained.

Seriously Harmonix, I don’t know where you guys go from here. I guess you could try more single band games, but I still think only The Beatles could really get away with that. Rock Band 3 is just too good. You’re done. Keep putting out DLC. We could still use some My Morning Jacket up in this business.

The Shadow Broke Her

Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker

After playing through the disappointing Witch Hunt DLC for Dragon Age, I turned my attention to Bioware’s other “reconnect with your lost love” DLC, a little story called The Lair of the Shadow Broker for a certain Mass Effect 2. Offering a chance to reconnect with my Shepard’s beloved Liara and hunt down one the game’s few loose ends was a pretty enticing offer, and the resulting package is easily the best released for Mass Effect 2 yet. In fact, if you are a fan of the franchise, this is probably a necessary purchase.

If you played through the game, you’ll remember that Liara has been hunting the ambiguous Shadow Broker for years, and she became so obsessed she wouldn’t join up with Shepard when Shep asked her to come. Well with the DLC, the Illusive Man will do the hard work for the both of you and hook you up with some key intel. Then Shep and Liara can finally hunt the Shadow Broker down and blah, blah, blah. I don’t really want to give anything away, but there’s enough story here to keep you plenty satisfied for a couple hours.

The DLC, as you’d probably expect, mainly tasks you with shoot outs against a variety of tough foes. But beyond offering some nice firefights, Shadow Broker also throws in a crazy car chase sequence. Complete with funny backseat driving. It’s plenty reminiscent of that seen from Attack of the Clones, sure, but how is that a bad thing? I really enjoyed getting back into some Mass Effect 2 combat, and the story is more than enough to keep you going.

There are some nice unlocks that come after completing the DLC mission too. But I’ll let you discover those on your own too. Unless you completely hated Liara and found the concept of the Shadow Broker totally unappealing, I implore you to check out this add-on. If FPS games can get away with selling maps and guns, an achievement like Mass Effect 2 deserves the support of people buying grade-A quality content like this.

Reach Out and End Somebody

Halo: Reach

Over the past decade, Bungie made a name for itself with the Halo franchise. With the first game, it gave the Xbox credibility and brought about the shift in first person shooters away from the PC to consoles. Halo 2 basically popularized console online play as we know it. 2007’s Halo 3 gave us a satisfying conclusion to Master Chief’s saga, while setting the standard for the robust feature set modern games can offer. Then they went back to do a side-story to Halo 2, featuring the cast of Firefly, called Halo O.D.S.T. Now they bid farewell to the franchise by telling a story that took place just before the first game.

Halo: Reach is set on the planet Reach, one of humanity’s most important worlds. You play as Noble Six, the newest member in a team of SPARTANs. While on your first mission, you find a Covenant invasion force and things go downhill from there. The campaign has a great feeling of dread and futility to it, and while you might already know where it’s going, I found it very enjoyable to see it get there.

As a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, Reach tries to bridge between the innovations from later in the franchise and the technology in the first game. So pistols with scopes are back and some of the guns from later games appear as prototypes, slightly changed. Health packs are back, which is a little annoying, but health packs usually seemed plentiful. Perhaps most controversially, you cannot dual wield again. That also did not really bother me, since the guns that you would dual wield have been altered to be more interesting on their own. Ultimately, Bungie did an amazing job making Reach play like a new Halo, while creating a sense of nostalgia too.

Of course the main attraction to a Halo game is the multiplayer, and Reach is easily the best yet. There’s a seemingly endless variety of modes available, and each of them is interesting; surely you’ll find something you like to play. At the forefront is Invasion, a new SPARTANs vs. Elites mode involving capturing objectives. It’s pretty cool. Firefight is back from O.D.S.T, and is still a lot of fun. Then there’s all the other modes you’d expect, Slayer, Team Slayer, Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and so on. You could be playing this for years, especially with the powerful new Forge mode allowing for all sorts of player-created map variants and game modes.

The ending of Reach is really well done, it was an excellent send-off for Bungie. By going back and finishing “their story” instead of starting off the new adventures of Master Chief, they were able to fill the game with nostalgia. Ultimately, it made me sad that they had to move on, something I was not expecting at all. But they’ve left us the most complete Halo experience yet, one that I’m sure any series fan will love.

Those Crafty Stars

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

It’s been 12 years since the original StarCraft came out. Seven years since development of this sequel came out. Three years since the game was officially announced. Two years since we learned StarCraft II would be split into three releases. A year since the game’s beta began. And 24 days since StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the first chapter of the StarCraft sequel trilogy, was finally released. Although it seemed like it would never happen, StarCraft II not only came out, but has transformed from novelty to fact of life. Now that the question of when Wings of Liberty would actually come out has been answered, the only one left is: Was it worth the wait?

It’s hard to think of a game with more pressure on it than a StarCraft sequel. The original was one of the most influential RTS games ever. It remained so popular in Korea that it became a sport. With a legacy like that, how do you live up to those levels of expectations? By modernizing the experience. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty doesn’t rewrite the book on StarCraft, it introduces clever new units, a bunch of new singleplayer modes and a streamlined multiplayer experience. Blizzard does enough to make the game seem fresh; familiar yet still worth the wait.

Wings of Liberty is the Terran-focused singleplayer campaign. We’ll have to wait a while to get the Zerg and Protoss thirds, unlike the first game which packed all the stories in one. The sequel gets away with that by putting a lot of work into the Terran story, which picks up a few years after the end of Brood War. Jim Raynor is back, fighting his war against Terran dictator Arcturus Mengsk while dealing with his regrets over the fate of Sarah Kerrigan. The campaign mode covers 29 missions and delivers a satisfying story that ends like what you’d expect the first of a trilogy to end like. The story between missions is made a lot more interesting thanks to the introduction of Wing Commander-esque interactions, Blizzard-quality cinematics, and singleplayer-only upgrades that let you see what an OP’ed Terran plays like. The missions themselves are interesting because they often feature clever gimmicks, like one where you have to defend yourself from Zerg zombies at night, but are free to destroy their bases during the day, since the sun kills them on that planet.

Beyond the campaign, Wings of Liberty has tutorials to help newbies learn how to play and a challenges feature, that is designed to help master gameplay. The player is asked to learn unit counters, build bases quickly, and hotkey everything. After playing the campaign and the challenges, a new player will have a grasp on all the units in the game, base building strategy and micro-management. Multiplayer is probably most players main draw to StarCraft II, so I really appreciate all the effort Blizzard made in making getting into the game easy.

And the multiplayer is everything you could hope it to be. Featuring the new Battle.net, StarCraft II includes everything gamers could ask for, aside from LAN support. There are a number of modes to play, AI support, party support, leagues, ladders, everything I can imagine gamers are asking for. They smartly make you participate in five placement matches before you really get into the multiplayer, allowing Battle.net to analyze your skill and match you with similar players. I’m still just getting into the online stuff, but it seems like Blizzard has included everything I need for maximum RTS fun.

When you get to the very core of it, I could see people argue that StarCraft is the ADD generation’s chess. The game requires so many actions-per-minute and tactical strategy, it’s a real change of pace from all the shooters that dominate the market today. And sure, it’s wrapped in space trucking fun, but few games are so deeply rewarding and dangerously addictive.

It’s All in Your Head

Inception

Christopher Nolan started work on Inception a decade ago. Allegedly, after his initial pitch, Nolan decided he had to do some other big pictures first. So he took a few warm up rounds. That resulted in Batman Begins, The Prestige and The Dark Knight. Not too shabby. Content with being the money-making king of the post-Titanic, pre-Avatar world, the director finished his script and started putting Inception together. Should he have abandoned his original concept and just started work on Batman 3? Or is Inception actually a worthy release from one of this generation’s most prolific directors?

I don’t remember The Matrix‘s advertising campaign that well. Lots of “what is the Matrix” ads without much real insight into what that movie actually was about. Then I saw the damn thing and they told me exactly what the Matrix was in the first 20 minutes. Actually, that was pretty ingenious of those guys. My approach to Inception was pretty similar. I saw the teaser. I knew it had something to do with entering people’s minds. I knew Leo and Juno were in it. That’s about it. So it was quite an experience getting brought into the interesting world of Inception, a world that is well thought-out and continuously a pleasure to watch.

The first half of the movie is dedicated to some (literal) world building, while the second half is basically a thrilling ride with as many twists and turns as the world’s greatest roller coasters. What starts as a heist movie also delves deep into other kinds of action and drama. The film definitely feels like Christopher Nolan made it, with his distinct vibe and sense of style, as well as another great driving Hans Zimmer score. He still has the problem of relying a little to heavily on exposition, but he does a wonderful job keeping every character interesting and every moment tense. Knowing what Wikipedia told me, I have to wonder how much of Nolan’s past three films actually were just practice for this movie.

Leonardo DiCaprio is in top form as Cobb, the “one last job” hero of the film. Everyone’s favorite up-and-comer Joseph Gordon-Levitt is really good, as are the rest of the supporting cast including Nolan regulars Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy and, of course, Michael Caine. Tom Hardy almost stole this show as the lovable rogue, but it’s hard to deny Marion Cotillard when she in her crying, sinister-yet-heart-breaking mode. Of course I couldn’t talk about the cast without mentioning John’s favorite Dileep Rao, who does indeed seem to have a knack for picking good projects.

I’ve been deliberately trying not to write about much of the plot of Inception because this is one of those movies that is better the less you know going in. And it seems the advertisers have made a genuine effort to keep most of the story secret, so who am I to ruin their plans? This is a movie full of style, but there’s even more substance. Inception asks you to keep thinking throughout, and ends on a note that will haunt you and perhaps spark glorious arguments around the world’s nerdiest water cooler. If you find yourself absolutely opposed to the kind of films Christopher Nolan makes, this isn’t for you. But if you’ve liked what he’s done in the past, Inception is certainly worth the price of admission.