Catering to the LCD

In a New York Times article dated December 26 entitled Hollywood Moves Away From Middlebrow Brooks Barnes writes about the "new" tendency in Hollywood to try and come up with more "original" material or hire directors with "quirkier sensibilities" as a result of the effect online social networks have had on the way movies are being marketed. It's funny how every few years one reads a line like "we can't settle for good - we have to be great" when it comes to moviemaking. It's as if as soon as one generation of "suits" learns that simple lesson, it is supplanted by another one that still needs to understand that constantly and consistently catering to the lowest common denominator results in a quick buck for a short while but does not a long terms strategy make. And so once again the suits are surprised that while "Sex and the City 2" flops, an original concept like "Inception" pays off. In the long run quality is the name of the game. That is a simple enough lesson to internalize and stick to. To quote Bob Marley (who adapted it from either Abraham Lincoln or PT Barnum): "you can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time".

"Within the architecture of the mind..."

With "Inception", what Christopher Nolan concocted in his fertile mind is nothing short of brilliant. Having just seen the movie I am still somewhat caught in its spell. I am not going to spoil anything for anyone here by revealing details about the story. Actually the best way to approach this movie is to walk in with no preconceived notions and just go with the flow. I suggest not even reading a single review. Reviewers often tend to be frustrated directors and sometimes like to spoil the experience for viewers by revealing just a little bit too much in their columns. 

I am actually quite encouraged by the fact that the Hollywood movie machine was able to produce something of this calibre and intelligence. I can only imagine that the "pitch" session with producers must have been somewhat of a challenge. This is not a movie one can encapsulate in a 5 word sentence (anything above that tends to stretch the mental capacity of some of these producers) . Actually I challenge anyone to do it effectively in a 140 letter tweet. 

I look forward to Mr Nolan's next projects. Maybe a movie like Inception will open the doors for other creative directors with slightly more complex projects than "Transformers XIV". Unless we are just going to wake up from this dream...