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Inception – THE OTHER VIEW

Another critic sounds off
Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard
Directed by Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan’s dashing mindbender “Inception” is doomed to wide and inaccurate comparisons to Stanley Kubrick. I say this because every challenging English-language film that critics cannot immediately box draws comparisons to Kubrick. True, there is a mind-blowing zero-gravity fight scene with the weightlessness of "2001." Then again it could be Fred Astaire, dancing on the ceiling of the ... more >

Shutter Island

An expertly-made popcorn movie
Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo
Directed by Martin Scorcese

As he ages, Martin Scorsese appears to be making a clear turn to pulp. I would say that some of the hesitations often expressed about The Departed stem from this change. The Academy Award winner doesn’t’ have the sense of burned-in reality of his early New York films. You also hear, incorrectly that it is shallow, a misimpression that lingers. Rather, it’s a quiet study of the relationships ... more >