Student Film Reviews

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1. James Ashheim 06.12.21 / 2pm

   This film was incredible. Having watched the film Following, I can see that Christopher Nolan has a knack for films that do not follow a chronological narrative structure. I agree that the film was hard to follow at times but if you can manage to keep up it is exhilarating. The cinematography was impressive as many of the camera shots included mind-bending events like entire city blocks folding in on themselves. This was a fantastic film and definitely worth a watch.
2. Joshua Chandler 07.10.21 / 11pm

   I enjoyed this review of my favorite film in the whole world, especially the comparison to the Matrix which also was set where reality could be controlled or manipulated. Inception quickly became my favorite film after the first time I saw it in the theater in 2010. I also had to watch it a second time to make sense of every twist and turn the film brings to light. Inception was the blockbuster of the summer in 2010 and with it’s excellent cast and incredible cinematography, it’s easily one of the greatest science fiction films to date.
3. Pearce Blaney 07.17.21 / 1pm

   Hey John. Nice review. I loved inception and really admire Christopher Nolan’s work. His choice in having Leonardo DiCaprio star as James Cobb really set the bar high for the film. Leonardo played the role extremely well with his facial expressions, and body language. A film like inception has so many twists and much deeper meaning. I love how you compared it to the Matrix. Pretty dead on. Good job!.
4. jordon wrench 07.18.21 / 7pm

   i loved the movie inception. i thought that it was totally wicked. it was a total thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time that i was watching it. this truly is a psychological thrill ride and the director did a great job. i watched the movie the matrix recently and this movie and the matrix had a lot of similar themes.
5. Quinn E Axelman 09.26.21 / 4pm

   -I totally agree Inception is absolutely fascinating mind bending collection cinematography that keeps you glued to the screen the entire time. I was equally as captivated by how the more unstable the person the more unstable the world around them. A theme that was very evident to me throughout the film was the illusion vs reality them in the way since the characters are acting in the conscious reality but there actions affect the what is unfolding in the dream state the sub conscious. The way Inception constantly makes you question the difference between what is reality and what is not makes this movie a must watch. 
6. jared Douglas 10.15.21 / 10pm

   what up John, I liked your review on inception. I watched this a couple weeks ago and it was a total mind bender. the cinematography was absolutely crazy, some of the in mind shots where the building would just come in and bend without breaking. I agree that this film is like the matrix with its manipulation of reality, it also has similar god shots that make the characters seem nonhuman. I don’t think any other actor could’ve pulled off the role like Leonardo DiCaprio, but overall I do agree it was a solid film.
7. Zachary Henderson 10.24.21 / 2pm

   Hello John,
   Love the review! I found Inception to be a rollercoaster of emotions, however I loved every second of it! Nolan did a fantastic job with casting, especially with starring DiCaprio as the lead role. I agree with what you said about how this film is similar to The Matrix with the manipulation of reality, however, I would say they differ drastically in that the Matrix is the manipulation of reality while Inception is the manipulation of dreams. However, I would agree that the Matrix is the most similar movie to Inception. Solid review for a solid movie!
8. Brenda Delgado 10.30.21 / 11pm

   Hi John,
   Great review! I truly think that Inception is an incredible film. They had such an amazing cast and effects. I loved that reality and dreams constantly shifted throughout the film. The lighting techniques in Inception where honestly remarkable, Dark earthy tones with deep shadows such as brown and grey teamed up with a scale of blue undertones. There is one thing that I believe brought the whole film together and it was the soundtrack. The music brought in a tremendous amount of feel. Hans Zimmer did not disappoint at all, especially with the song, ( Hans Zimmer -Time). Such a masterpiece.
9. Dakota Boynton 03.05.22 / 7pm

   Inception is my favorite film, from its cast to the complexity of the plot. This films music made by Hans Zimmer makes every scene so dramatic in a good way. The acting is incredible, with actors that later exploded with massive careers like Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy. These actors make the film even better being a fan of Cillian Murphy and the rest of the cast, make every second of the film interesting. John, I completely agree that watching the first time or even second it is hard to follow the plot. But yes the fact that everything connects in the end makes it have the oh, moment.
10. Giovanni Ramirez 03.11.22 / 1pm

    Hello John,
    Great review! In my opinion the film Inception is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time the whole concept and story line was not like any other film and really had the audience putting all the pieces together. This film did a great job at distinguishing what is real and what is an illusion, the different settings and special effects helped bring the subconscious settings to life. The use of such highly rated actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and Cillian Murphy made this film ten times better they helped bring each character to life and made the movie seem much more realistic. I completely agree with the fact that this movie relates to The Matrix but I also found it very similar to Dr. Strange with all the different special effects and how cities would collapse and the use of different illusions throughout the film.
11. Thea Flower 06.08.22 / 10am

    John, I really enjoyed your review and how you mentioned that the reality in that movie can be controlled or manipulated. The Matrix was also a film that came to my mind and did have some similar aspects to Inception. The events in which the story is told is sometimes not in chronological order. With Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, James, we see him having flashbacks frequently throughout the film. These events also bring repetition and the audience can see how important these flashbacks are to the character with how often they are referenced. Paying close attention to this film is important because there are so many hidden details that the audience must figure out and piece together.
12. Anthony Makram 07.23.22 / 11pm

    The brilliance behind this film that makes me and so many others fall in love with this film is the concept created by Christopher Nolan. The detail and fashion in which he introduced this brand new concept to the audience seemed effortless and made the audience fall in love with the movie. The outstanding cast combined with the cinematography gave this film so much life. In addition, the score by Hans Zimmer includes some of the best music I’ve ever listened to in my life and adds volumes to the film in multiple scenarios throughout the course of the plot. The life that the cinematography and score gave to the final scenes was truly amazing.
13. Anthony Makram 07.23.22 / 11pm

    The brilliance behind this film that makes me and so many others fall in love with this film is the concept created by Christopher Nolan. The detail and fashion in which he introduced this brand new concept to the audience seemed effortless and made the audience fall in love with the movie. The outstanding cast combined with the cinematography gave this film so much life. In addition, the score by Hans Zimmer includes some of the best music I’ve ever listened to in my life and adds volumes to the film in multiple scenarios throughout the course of the plot. The life that the cinematography and score gave to the final scenes was truly amazing.
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14. Anthony Makram 07.23.22 / 11pm

    The brilliance behind this film that makes me and so many others fall in love with this film is the concept created by Christopher Nolan. The detail and fashion in which he introduced this brand new concept to the audience seemed effortless and made the audience fall in love with the movie. The outstanding cast combined with the cinematography gave this film so much life. In addition, the score by Hans Zimmer includes some of the best music I’ve ever listened to in my life and adds volumes to the film in multiple scenarios throughout the course of the plot. The life that the cinematography and score gave to the final scenes was truly an amazing finish to the film.
15. Eli Krueger 06.19.23 / 11am

    Inception is always a movie that makes me think, I’ve seen it a few times and each time I get something else out of it. I often find comfort in the concept of unknown reality, I really like the idea that we can manipulate reality – though it becomes increasingly scary as AI develops, especially after that New York Times article. I think this is a movie that you need to watch a few times to really understand it, though the plot twist/cliffhanging ending hits the hardest the first time. Christopher Nolan is widely regarded as brilliant – as some people have mentioned, his attention to detail and unique concepts only prove this point. Inception is truly one of a kind, this idea of a dream within a dream is exciting and easy to imagine doing it yourself. I really enjoy when movies are unique, but not so outlandish that you cannot put yourself in their shoes. Overall, this movie highlights family, desperation, and questions reality – making it one of the best movies of all time. (The cast helps this too)
16. Cristopher Sarabia 03.29.24 / 1pm

    Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is a mind-blowing journey into the depths of the subconscious, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as James Cobb whose main focus is to implant an idea into Robert Fischer’s mind. Teamed up with an elite group specializing in the art of cerebral larceny, Cobb navigates through the layers of the human mind to extract valuable secrets. Navigating through various levels of consciousness, the characters travel within both the conscious reality and the subconscious realm, blurring the lines between dreams and life. While the concepts of the plot may be challenging to follow at times, Nolan perfectly puts together the story threads to deliver a wonderful conclusion.

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