I loved INCEPTION but even I had a hard time sitting through all that exposition. However, exposition has always been a major part of sci-fi and heist films. Given that INCEPTION is both, I do not think it had any more exposition that those two types of films generally have.Mister Tee wrote:I think there are two big dfferences between District 9 and Inception as regarding a screenplay nomination. First, District 9 was specifically cited for its surprising wit (to the point where many ignored its devolving to standard action by the climax), where Inception, at least by my impression, has taken some heat for the clunkiness of its exposition. Second, Inception is, unavoidably, a product of the Hollywood blockbuster machine, where District 9, by virtue of its South African origin, is viewed as slightly exotic -- always a plus with a branch that, since the mid-40s, has been a sucker for non-American efforts. I'd concede Inception has a better shot than many other, even well-regarded summer hits -- like the Spider Man movies -- but I still think it's facing an uphill battle against the Kids Are All Right type scripts to which the writers are partial. (It may score with the WGA, however, as Dark Knight did)
Honestly, I doubt Nolan wanted all that exposition in there. I would imagine much of it was there to appease the studio execs. If they are going to spend $160 m on a film that is this original and head-trippy, they probably insisted Nolan keep the dumber element of movie audiences from being lost.
DISTRICT 9 had quite a bit of exposition, especially in the beginning with the faux-documentary elements. I think the screenwriters will appreciate Nolan's efforts to craft a smart and original big-budget film. It is definitely true this seems to be a pretty good year for original films, but I think INCEPTION has a good chance.
Nolan's chances for director seem the iffiest of all INCEPTION's possible nominations. He should have been nominated for MEMENTO, but even that snub was not enough to help him with THE DARK KNIGHT.
The DGA and the director's branch of the Academy often disagree, but has a director ever been nominated twice by the DGA only to be snubbed each time by the Academy? It seems they are just not fans of Nolan's work.