Walking into the theatre this past Friday, I remember waiting for my showing of Inception to begin. As I waited, I watched as the previous screening was let out and eavesdropped on the passing patrons as they discussed the film they had just seen.
Most people were ecstatic over what they had just witnessed. Many walked out saying that it was the greatest film they had seen.
Seeing so much buzz and conversation over a movie mere seconds after viewing will either ensure it as an amazing film or an absolute train wreck of a movie. But what caught my attention most was the group of young hipster teens as they discussed (very loudly mind you) about their discontent with the picture for the sole reason of it being confusing.
It was at that moment when I thought to myself "If they hated it, then I am going to absolutely love this" and I was not disappointed.
What can be called Christopher Nolan's magnum opus, Inception is the first major blockbuster to truly demand absolute concentration, taken complex thought along with stunning action sequences and wrapped it all seamlessly together to come round in a long while. It requires so much exposition and actual thought that a lesser director would distribute cliff's notes to go along side the film available to audience members.
Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb, who is, what's referred to in the film as an Extractor. He plays a sort of corporate spy of the highest caliber by which I mean he goes into the minds of men and steals their ideas through their dreams. With the use of a special device, he is tasked by an energy corporate exec (Ken Wantanabe) to enter the mind and subconscious of a rival corporate exec (Cillian Murphy), whom has just inherited the company from his father, and implant the idea to abandon the company. Of course though, DiCaprio's character has his own intentions and demons he's trying to overcome which I wouldn't dare spoil for you here.
I swear I moved it with my mind a second ago
Along with his team consisting of the Point Man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the Architect (Ellen Page) and the Forger (Tom Hardy), Cobb infiltrates and designs the dreams of the rival exec in order to plant the idea. To say all of that scratches the service of Inception is an absolute insult to the film itself. It takes the film around an hour to completely set up the central premise, so you'll excuse my hesitance to explain the plot.
It is extremely difficult to describe the plot of Inception in depth for reasons of obvious spoilers and considering the shear level of depth the movie goes into within just the first hour would just be a waste of time to attempt to explain in just a few paragraphs. All I'll say further concerning the basic plot is that it is brilliantly written and manages to be complex without being overly confusing and while it can become a bit convoluted at times, it never once forgets to be nothing short of entertaining.
So what exactly about Inception makes it so great? Well, in all actuality, it's the way it presents itself. It's not just another mindless summer movie where you can shut down your brain for 90 minutes and watch the pretty colors on screen. There's a lot to take in and, at times, it can be a bit overwhelming but the pure creativity in the film's delivery of exposition is what keeps the viewer riveted and intrigued throughout the near 3-hour length. It's a film that isn't exhausting to watch, yet will leave you emotionally drained as you will be swept up in the film?s jaw dropping and breathtaking scenery.
Though, with all the praise I've thrown at the movie, it is not without its flaws. One of which is that while I consider the antigravity hallway fight scene as one of the greatest of all time, many of the other action scenes don't seem to particularly fit with the basic aesthetic of the rest of the movie. Another lies with the characters themselves. While you learn of character backstories and personality through the way they interact with one another, there's never any real character development taking place with the characters themselves, though I guess it works well if you consider that including backstories, that would require another hour of runtime.
Even though we don't get much character development, they all interact well with each other and it's easy to tell the feelings of one character towards another. Little moments between characters like Arthur (Levitt) and Eames (Hardy) easily show their discontent for one another. You can do the same when comparing interactions with any other two characters.
Something I've noticed the film get flack for is that Inception's Cobb and Shutter Island's Teddy Daniels are fairly similar and both played by DiCaprio. Now, allow me to go on a bit of a rant here but while they do share similarities in that they both have become separated from their families, both deal with unbearable amounts of guilt and both have difficulties when coming to grips with their own realities, they're both played phenomenally by DiCaprio. So what if they share a few character elements in common? They're both well acted and well written.
The other stand out performances here that will hopefully launch their careers a bit further is both Levitt and Hardy. With the exception of DiCaprio, both characters are brilliantly acted and have perfect chemistry together, something that seems to be lacking a bit in films recently. While Levitt brings more of a stoic and serious feel to the team, Hardy's performance brings a lighthearted touch as the rest of the team is forced to remain serious.
Excuse me, sir, may I interest you in a time share?
While some characters are brilliantly acted (Cobb, Arthur, Eames) others just seem to fall flat a bit and aside from those few that are well acted, no one in particular stands out. I will make special mention of Ken Watanabe's performance in this as he perfectly portrays a threatening and powerful business tycoon without being menacing or even coming off as an antagonist. Though while he plays it well, his accent is very thick and can often become difficult to understand as many of his lines are either whispered or muttered and this isn't a movie where you want to miss even a bit of dialog.
Inception is a film that likes to come off as merely something only the brightest of moviegoers can grasp. This fortunately is not the case. It may be clever and somewhat convoluted at times, but if you give it your full attention from the get go, you will be rewarded with one of the most engaging stories of the year.
Though even with its mild flaws, Inception brings so much more to summer blockbusters and cinema in general. There are bound to be countless Inception clones throughout the next few years in an attempt to cash in on the obvious success of the dream setting, but none will hold a candle to this near masterpiece. Every element of the film fits together gloriously. From Hanz Zimmer's amazing booming score to Wally Pfister's phenomenal cinematography, Inception is a film that will be called intelligent, cerebral and astounding and it's all true. It is a picture that deserves multiple viewings and coming from someone who has now seen it 3 times, I can attest first hand that it in no way loses any entertainment value through further viewings.
As stated before, Inception is a film that you will leave emotionally and mentally drained. It's something that will leave you pondering for weeks to come and have you coming back again and again.
Movies:
Best Movies of the Decade [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.164045-Best-Films-of-the-Decade-Warning-Extremely-Long-Review]
Games:
Bayonetta [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.169030-JK-Reviews-Bayonetta-Warning-May-Contain-Spoilers]
Game of the Year [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.163760-Celebration-for-My-5000th-post-Game-of-the-Year-awards]
God of War III [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.182952-JK-Reviews-God-of-War-III]
NieR [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.203204-JK-Reviews-NIER]
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206361-JK-Reviews-Castlevania-Lament-of-Innocence]
Maximo: Ghosts To Glory [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.212014-JK-Reviews-Maximo-Ghosts-To-Glory]
Music:
Equilibrium's ReKreatur [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.204108-JK-Reviews-Equilibrium-ReKreatur]
Best Movies of the Decade [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.164045-Best-Films-of-the-Decade-Warning-Extremely-Long-Review]
Games:
Bayonetta [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.169030-JK-Reviews-Bayonetta-Warning-May-Contain-Spoilers]
Game of the Year [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.163760-Celebration-for-My-5000th-post-Game-of-the-Year-awards]
God of War III [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.182952-JK-Reviews-God-of-War-III]
NieR [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.203204-JK-Reviews-NIER]
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206361-JK-Reviews-Castlevania-Lament-of-Innocence]
Maximo: Ghosts To Glory [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.212014-JK-Reviews-Maximo-Ghosts-To-Glory]
Music:
Equilibrium's ReKreatur [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.204108-JK-Reviews-Equilibrium-ReKreatur]
Remember, that I am now taking requests for reviews, so any suggestions for future reviews you may have, please let me know via PM or in the replies to this review.
