It's Just Movies

— by CAM SMITH —

Christopher Nolan’s big-budget follow-up to “The Dark Knight” — the vaguely titled “Inception” — has, thus far, been something of a head-scratcher, a conundrum. An enigma wrapped in a riddle.

While the brief teaser trailer was incomprehensible at best, intriguing ambiguous details have leaked onto the internet hinting that the film centers on dreamscapes and futuristic crime prevention. This is seemingly confirmed by the flick’s “Your Mind is the Scene of the Crime” tagline.

Now we have a new poster which tells us … nothing overly substantial. Imagery of the towering glass-and-concrete urban jungle setting is again on display, as well as a subtle visual nod — in the placement of the title — of an unlocked puzzle.

Although it leaves a lot to be desired for spoiler-fanatics, I love how Nolan builds an atmosphere of uncertainty around his projects, drawing the audience in by playing on their own insatiable curiosities while alternately implying that something dangerous and forbidden lies just around the corner. He’s one of the few modern directors engaging in truly clever showmanship and mystery in his marketing, and I, for one, find the lack of solid information regarding the plot and story elements of “Inception” refreshing (Robert Zemeckis should take notes.)

Plus, I’ll take this moody little release over the earlier poster, which felt far too obvious and more than a little familiar. (*Cough*)

Oh, and on a geeky note, how cool is it to see Tom Berenger’s name once again listed at the top of a non-schlockfest one-sheet? Pretty damn groovy, huh? Guys?

Follow Cam Smith on Twitter at http://twitter.com/camspcepisodes.