Inception Review

"What is the most resilient parasite? An idea" - Dom Cobb, Inception

Inception is a film directed by critically acclaimed director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, The Prestige). The movie revolves around the lead character, Dom Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) and his expert ability at theft and extraction. Though, he is not stealing from any bank or museum. He is an expert in the field of subconscious. In order for this to work, the dream needs to be created by an architect, someone who is working with Cobb, and the subject needs to fill the dream with their subconscious. And in turn, their secrets. Sound a bit complex? Well, it gets better. To return to his family Cobb must perform Inception, which is the reverse of what he normally does. Instead of going in and extracting, he is going in and planting. He is planting an idea that will grow into something more.

Inception's only flaw that I realized was it's slow start. While it does perfectly set the stage and allow the rest of the movie to go in freefall (joke to the movie, you will get it when you see it), it does get a bit taxing on an average viewer. However, it all plays out well in the end. Exceptionally so, as a matter of fact.

Inception is an intelligent, amazingly done original idea that is a gem in an otherwise unoriginal film industry. The story is complex, but you will understand it if you think about it for a moment during the movie. That is probably where this movie shines; making the viewer think. The movie feeds off of confusion, often making you feel like you are in a dream.

The movie's whole idea, entering dreams and then entering dreams within dreams, is an incredibly smart and oddly logical idea that allows for a multitude of different film moments. And these moments are memorable and amazing. The film takes what people already know about dreams, like dreams seemingly longer than the time passed in the real world, only remembering a dream from a certain point, ect and make it into fact and utilize the fabric of the confusion and unknown elements. It sets the stage for a truly epic film with many moments for me to talk about.

The diversity in the sets is astounding and all are well down. It goes from thick in the city, to a rain drenched chase, to a snowy mountain top, to a desolated city. The story arc for the lead character is good, but predictable, but often draws a reaction from the entire crowd (such as when a certain woman shows up here and there). The movie also takes enough unexpected turns to not remain boringly predictable, which is also good.

Now, for the actual directing. The way dreams are portrayed against the real world and the way the time is compared is simply genius. The effects of the real world on the dream end up being some of the best cinematic moments in recent films, the one standing out the most being "The Hallway Scene" (which actually doesn't involve Cobb at all). I do not know how Nolan did it, but gravity constantly shifts fluently and in one shot, all while one of the support characters fight off enemies to protect his colleges. They go from ceiling to wall, to ground to room, to floating to wall, and all manners of amazing shots. The movie is just pure excellence. I don't want to give away too much, so I am afraid I will have to cut the review short. Just know the movie is interesting, intelligent, well acted, and diverse. See this movie.

Inception: 9.5/10
Recommend? With every fiber of my being
Live up to the Hype? Yes
See it Now or Later? Right now
Theater or DVD? Theater