Inception

Just watched the Inception trailer. It's a teaser, so not much to go on. Teaser's give you a choice of "Looks great", "Looks okay", or "Looks like I won't be seeing that."

But it did remind me that I'm excited for this movie, and not for anything that I necessarily saw on the screen. It's that I trust Christopher Nolan. I trust him as a film maker and a storyteller. The type of trust I used to reserve for Pat Conroy, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, or Frank Miller, among others. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

When I first saw Momento in 2000, I was ecstatic. It had been a while since I had seen anything that gripped me in the way that film did. I knew I would see Nolan's next film. Insomnia wasn't a great film in my estimation, but wasn't a typical studio follow-up for a newly-discovered director.

Then Batman Begins. For comics fans, it was validation. For moviegoers, it was a draw. And while some have problems with the ending, I felt Nolan maintained his integrity and made a movie that was his own. He then gives us The Prestige which stayed with me for days after I left the theater, pondering its twists, turns, and intricacies.

The Dark Knight follows Nolan's first Batman film as a studio movie that still follows the type of storytelling that he has established. As a matter of fact, I think I enjoy Batman Begins more so than its sequel. But what's important is his continued use of theme, skewed narrative, and strength of concept are present in each film.

I trust Nolan because he has been able to strike a balance that has all but been lost in Hollywood. He is able to make films that not only entertain, but are emotionally gripping and have you talking and/or mentally lingering on the movie well after you are gone. At some point he'll make another mediocre film such as Insomnia or something that sorely disappoint. That's okay. He's a creator. It's an element of what he does.

But until then...strike that. Until he goes full Frank Miller, snickering at those who follow his work, or goes dallying with his earlier films as some have been wont to do, I'm in his corner.

I may not know what Inception is about (and I have every intention of going in clean as possible), but I'll be there opening weekend. As long as his movies are smart and entertaining, I'll be along for the ride. Nolan is a film maker who deserves the benefit of the doubt. I wish there were more like him.