Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolan has become a brand unto himself; anything he does, or touches assures a new experience in cinema whether its the direction or the writing. From his black and white short 'Following', to the enigmatic 'Memento' to the hugely successful 'Dark Knight'. He's like the latter day Spielberg, only less emotional but big on mind expansion ... 

The Skinny: Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) is a specialist in the field of ideas extraction. That is, he delves into the sleeping minds of his target and takes things out. Or in this case, puts things in, not unlike Neo entering the Matrix to do stuff. Warner Bros Pictures explains it much better: "Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state, when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception. Instead of the perfect heist, Cobb and his team of specialists have to pull off the reverse: their task is not to steal an idea but to plant one. If they succeed, it could be the perfect crime. But no amount of careful planning or expertise can prepare the team for the dangerous enemy that seems to predict their every move. An enemy that only Cobb could have seen coming."

The Helmer: Christopher Nolan - Dark Knight (2008), The Prestige (2006), Batman Begins (2005), Insomnia (2002), Memento (2000), Following (1998), Doodlebug (1997).

The Casts: Leonardo DiCaprio (Dom Cobb), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Arthur), Ellen Page (Ariadne), Tom Hary (Eames), Ken Watanabe (Saito) Dileep Rao (Yusuf), Tom Berenger (Browing), Marion Cotillard (Mal).

The Prediction:  I like Nolan, and I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this looks like a good movie. You just can't lose: great cast, great story, great director and from the trailer, amazing usage of special effects, i.e. CGI utilized as a mind-expanding experience. And any movie which tries to bring back Tom Berrenger is okay in my books.

Inception Trailer

Official website

The American (2010)

Clooney in action mode is always a treat to watch, even though we haven't seen much of that in a long while. The last real action mode he was in was the 1997 Peacemaker, which preceded the hugely entertaining Dusk Till Dawn. Since then, its been a series of romantic comedies, comedy drama and light situational action comedy as seen with the Ocean series. That's all well and good, but a leading man of his stature has an obligaiton to the action-genre.

The Skinny: George Clooney assassin Jack on sabbatical in Italy to wait out a job. Whilst there, he befriends locals and picks up a romantic liaison with local beauty Clara. But, being a man in a job that involves violence and treachery, he soon comes face to face with his past.

The Helmer: Anton Corbijin - Linear (2009), Control (2007), Metallica The Videos (2006), The Work of Director Anton Corbijin (2005), U2: The Best of 1990 - 2000 (2002), One Night in Paris - Depeche Mode (2002), Depeche Mode : The Videos (1986 - 1998), Don Van Vliet: Some Yo Yo Stuff (1994), Depeche Mode: Devotional (1993), Bryan Adams: Waking up the Neighbours (1992), U2: Achtung Baby (1992), Strange Too (1990), Strange (1988).

The Casts: George Clooney (Jack), Violante Placido (Clara), Thekla Reuten (Mathilde), Bruce Altman (Larry)

The Prediction: I like the combination of the story and Clooney. You just can't go wrong with the two. Which is why the choice of director for this project is odd - a music video director? It could either be a dumb choice, or an inspired one.

Official website

The American Trailer