What Inception 2 could be: "Intervention"

If you are not familiar with Christopher Nolan's masterpiece Inception starring Leo DiCaprio and introducing Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Tom Hardy to national stardom, then you aren't gonna get any of this. You should also drop whatever you're carrying, child or not, and go watch it. Also, spoiler alert.

I'm not suggesting a sequel based on whether or not the top stops spinning after the camera cuts at the end of the film. So, you can leave that where it is. Instead, I propose more of a "product of the times" film, which could be incredibly cool.

Lets imagine it opens on aforementioned spinning top, which stops spinning as DiCaprio and his children hug tenderly in the background. Then a montage ensues showing DiCaprio rebuilding his life under an assumed name becoming a math professor and avoiding any mention of even the word "Dream." Page and Gordon-Levitt become a couple and ghost write a book detailing the process of performing Inception. It becomes an international phenomenon and spawns a series of high profile events including a Supreme Court Justice changing his mind midway through a week long nationally televised debate, numerous questionable but extremely publicized business transactions and the possible rigging of the Papal selection. As a result, the world scrambles to establish parameters on this extremely dangerous power. Laws were already on the books protecting the information in someone's mind (In the 1st film DiCaprio's character was constantly in flight partially because he broke these laws on numerous occasions). Now laws are being passed trying to protect the will.

As the dream world is increasingly policed, the intelligence community develops a protocol for dream access and a new spy archetype is born. Tom Hardy could become a mercenary "James Bond" type of dreamer, a cold (dream) war could develop between us and _______ country (Saudi Arabia? China? preferably not Russia but I suppose it would work) and national security expands to not only protecting our borders and our information but also our minds.

How does a government protect the mind? Can it? A possible direction would be a villainous NSA-like agency which infiltrates citizen's dreams and the film could center around the conflict of freedom vs security. Another direction could be the internal conflict of the President as he grapples with protecting the American people from dream infiltration while still preserving the sacred rights of privacy, individuality and the public trust. Another tension would be belief vs suggestion. Do we really believe anything of ourselves or is it all just put there by our surroundings or the suggestions of a stronger mind?

In any of these, and several other possibilities, who would be better served to spear-head a resistance than the man who virtually lost everything to an Inception? DiCaprio could simultaneously educate the masses on prevention while leading a revolution against external control. Hardy and DiCaprio could find themselves on opposite sides of the debate, one working to free the mind while the other strives to lock it up tight. The final moral? In freedom we have the greatest security. A mind devoid of fear, with no secrets, is impossible to twist.

I'd watch it. Too bad I'm not smart enough to write it. More too bad Christopher Nolan doesn't read my blog...

What do you think?

The Most Exquisite Thespians

I was inspired by Bill Simmon's 5 most re-watchable Denzel Washington movies, to list my 10 favorite actors. I wanted something more objective than just my memory and general impressions of the movies I've watched. So, I went to IMDB.com and typed in the names of who I though were my favorite actors, about 35 or so, all men to keep it even - not actresses, and then went through their filmographies. I gave them 1.5 points for being in a movie I liked, 1 point for being in a movie I've seen and took away a point for a movie I didn't like. Here are the results:



#10

(2 tied)

 

Johnny Depp

 

 

 

 

Russell Crowe

 

 

This surprised me, I figured both of these guys would be top 5, but instead they came in tied for 10th just beating out Keanu Reeves and Will Ferrell.

 

 

 

 

#9

 

 



Sean Connery

 

Indiana Jones, Hunt for Red October, The Rock - I haven't seen a single Bond and he still makes the list.

 

 

 

#8

 

Paul Giamatti

 

This also surprised me. But I do love Mr. Giamatti, especially in Shyamalan's Lady in the Water.

 

 

#7

 

 

Tom Cruise

 

I believe Ethan Hunt may be my favorite recurring character of all time. At least action character.

 

 

#6

 

 

Harrison Ford

 

Han Solo, Indie and very excellent as our President in Air Force One,

 

 

 

#5

 

 

 

Robin Williams

 

This takes Aladdin in to account, which is a great movie, and an extremely diverse career. Highlights for me are Patch Adams, Jumanji and Dead Poets. Not the highest ranked comedian, which I also found interesting.

 

#4

 

 

Denzel Washington

 

This dude is a BEAST. I have yet to watch Flight but otherwise I'd seen nearly everything he's appeared in over the last several years. Haven't disliked a single character he's portrayed.

 

#3

 

 

Jim Carrey

 

 

From the best comedy (Dumb and Dumber) to some quality scary (The Number 23) with weird (Eternal Sunshine) and wonderful (The Truman Show) in between this guy definitely deserves his ranking.

 

#2

 

 

Will Smith

 

If this guy is in it, I want to see it. Still waiting for a chance on Ali and his most recent After Earth. But nobody pulls off cool like Mr. Smith.

 

drum roll please...........

 

#1

 

 

Tom Hanks

 

 

Saving Private Ryan alone puts him on the list. His voicing of Woody in Toy Story is awesome, and he can both dominate a film or disappear into his character, both signs of next level talent. If you had asked me before I wrote up this list, I usually go with Hanks, just over Cruise and Denzel. So, now I have a scientific (kinda) way to say, my favorite actor is Tom Hanks.

 

Other actors and where they ranked:

 

12 - Keanu Reeves

13 - Will Ferrell

14 - Jack Black

15 - Morgan Freeman

16 - Bruce Willis

17 - Michael Caine

18 - Liam Neeson

19 - Gene Hackman

20 - Dustin Hoffman

21 - Nicholas Cage

22 - Simon Pegg

23 - Leonardo DiCaprio

24 - Brad Pitt

25 - Robert Downey Jr

26 - Mel Gibson

27 - Matt Damon

28 - Mark Wahlberg

29 - Phillip Seymour Hoffman

30 - George Clooney

31 - Steve Buscemi

32 - Ewan McGregor

33 - Christian Bale

34 - Alex Baldwin

35 - Steve Carrell

36 - Alan Rickman

37 - Ian McKellen

38 - Hugh Jackman

39 - John Cusak

40 - Ryan Gosling

 

 

 

Suggest one I forgot, I'll quick rank him and add him to the list!