MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Sci-Fi Action/Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas, Talulah Riley/Runtime: 148 minutes
I think it is a pretty safe statement to make that, in the aftermath of the absolutely gargantuan critical and commercial success of 2008’s epic superhero saga The Dark Knight, its helmer Christopher Nolan was able to finally count himself as a global filmmaking icon. To be sure, this truly gifted man had already shown audiences his immense skill and talent with such gems as Memento, the highly underrated 2002 crime thriller Insomnia which pitted screen icon Al Pacino against a most unlikely villain, 2006’s also underrated period thriller The Prestige which involved a pair of warring magicians, and 2005’s terrific superhero origin story Batman Begins which marked the beginning of both Nolan’s time spent in the legendary city of Gotham as well as in the company of one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. Yet, more than any of those films, it was The Dark Knight that finally made people take notice of him and begin to anticipate whatever film project he cooked up next. To that end, we see that before Nolan decided to go back to Gotham one more time with The Dark Knight Rises in 2012 that he had another movie he wanted to make first. A movie that, although first proposed as a horror-infused heist saga about a group of dream swipers, would turn out to be something else entirely. That being not only a mixture of the heist, sci-fi, and action genres all rolled into something that I can honestly say audiences up to that time had truly never seen unfurl before them, but also a new and exciting chapter in the ever-expanding book dealing with just what is possible in the realm of movie magic. Suffice it to say that yes the slice of cinema that is 2010’s Inception is one that has a few miniscule issues sprinkled here and there to say nothing of an ending that has managed to inspire more passionate and fiery debate amongst die hard movie lovers, people on Reddit, and just general audiences altogether than just about any other cinematic conclusion of the past two decades. Yet even with those elements in mind, there is no denying that when you also take into account some of the most incredible work ever engaged in on either side of the camera that you are also seeing true greatness unfurl before your eyes as well. Thus, in the eyes of this critic, Inception is not only a phenomenal movie that is a true must-see in every sense of the word, but also a rousing and riveting example of a cinematic viewing experience that is both thrilling and yet brilliant in equal measure. A mixture that, whilst quite a few slices of cinema in the years since have desperately tried to emulate, has seen only a select few even remotely come close to pulling off on the level that this one manages to do and then some.
The plot is as follows: Inception tells us the story of a man by the name of Dom Cobb. Mr. Cobb, we rather quickly learn, is a member of that distinct community of individuals known as thievery with a distinct twist. That being that, unlike other members of his profession, Cobb doesn’t steal diamonds, cash, or anything that a typical thief might choose to plunder. Instead, this is a guy who is no more and no less than the best of the best in a perilous new form of thievery known as extraction. A thievery that involves the swiping of precious secrets from deep inside a target’s mind whilst they are in the middle of dreaming which is psychologically when the target is at their most open. Yet although Cobb’s skill and talent in this perilous new criminal landscape has made him highly sought-after by various individuals the world over, we see that it also has had some unfortunate fallout attached to it as well. Namely that his various dream heists have also gotten him slapped with the label of global fugitive from justice which has managed to see him lose those he holds dear to his heart. As our story gets underway though, we see that our intrepid hero is approached by an enigmatic businessman by the name of Saito who decides to present him with a job offer. One that, should he be successful, will see his criminal status cleared thus allowing him a second chance at life. All he has to do is a concept known as inception. That being the art of, instead of stealing an idea, planting one in the son of Saito’s chief business competition instead. To that end, we see that Cobb starts assembling a team to aid him in this endeavor including his righthand man Arthur, a skilled forger/impersonator named Eames, a chemist named Yusef, and an architecture grad student named Ariadne. Yet as this team of specialists begins putting their plan into motion, we see that a perilous foe comes to play. One that not only seems to know every move they are about to make, but is also one that has a secret tie to Cobb as well. Thus can our team outwit this perilous foe and pull off the mission or is this one dream that’s about to become a serious nightmare? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself…..
Now right off the bat I will say that the work done behind the camera on this slice of cinema is no less than genuinely top-tier. Indeed, besides his talents as a storyteller, Christopher Nolan has always had a terrific eye for visuals and that is most assuredly the case here as this slice of cinema was actually filmed all over the world including in such locales as Paris and Tokyo to name but a couple with each place possessing its own distinct flair and look to them be they a setting in the film’s take on “reality” or if they are a part of a “dream”. A brilliant decision incidentally on the part of the creative team behind the camera since not only did they want this film to feel like it was set in the “modern world”, but they also wanted at the same time to have the film consistently leaving you wondering when you were in reality and when you were in a dream. Of course, on the topic of the “dream world” in this, you should also know at this time that Nolan manages to completely floor you with quite a few phenomenal effects sequences including hotel rooms doing the shuffle, a train speeding down a boulevard in a city, and a taut gun battle in a secured arctic facility that feels like a wonderful throwback to the 1969 007 adventure On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Yet whilst this slice of cinema does a phenomenal job at leaving you agape at the various set pieces that it chooses to operate with, it should also be said that they all manages to coalesce incredibly well with the immersive and multilayered narrative at the heart of the film as well. A narrative that I guess I can let you know at this time is by no means your typical “run of the mill” plot and is instead one that necessitates you give it no less than your strictest attention and I really do dig that. That’s because, from the point of view of this reviewer dear, it really is a wonderful thing to get a slice of cinema that is this level of novel that also doesn’t try to water anything down. Along with that, praise must be given to frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer for once again managing to provide a musical accompaniment that is not only enthralling in its own right, but will also definitely leave your heart racing quite consistently throughout the film. Suffice it to say then that what Christopher Nolan and his brilliant team of collaborators behind the camera have managed to sculpt for us here is a complex and multilevel to the extreme, but phenomenal all the same slice of cinema that, despite a runtime of close to 2 hours and 30 minutes, does not ever give off the vibe of being that lengthy. No it doesn’t move at the speed of a European bullet train by any stretch. Rather, it’s because this slice of cinema is the film equivalent to an incredibly designed building by Frank Lloyd Wright where every room might be riveting and engaging in its own right, but you still nevertheless can’t wait to see what’s behind the very next door that you come across.
Of course, the other big element that has always distinguished a slice of cinema made by Christopher Nolan is the fact that the man is able to not only get a collection of fantastic acting talent in front of the camera, but that he is also is then able to get the best performance possible out of each and every player no matter how big or small their role may be. Suffice it to say that the cast for this slice of cinema is no exception. This starts with acting icon (and hated by grizzly bears worldwide) Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role of Cobb and he is fantastic. Indeed, as portrayed by DiCaprio, the character of Cobb may be a skilled and cool as a cucumber professional on the outside, but on the inside this is a very complicated man. This is because not only is he very much a damaged and enigmatic individual, but he is also someone who is saddled with quite a bit of both guilt and regret about things that have happened in his life to say nothing of the impact that his choices have made on him and those he cares the most about in this world. Suffice it to say that is quite the multifaceted character which can be quite the challenge to portray, but Leo manages to do so in a way that is both mesmerizingly and even heartbreakingly in certain moments well done. Indeed I know the guy is a fantastic actor, but this is easily one of the best performances he has ever given and, when taking into account his career, that is definitely saying something. Along with the work done here by DiCaprio though, I think praise should also be given to the work done here by Tom Hardy who manages to do an absolutely phenomenal job in the role of the snarky and assertive jokester Eames. Indeed Hardy has always been one of the more underrated talents of his generation and here he gives a performance that is not only brilliant and funny, but also a terrific introduction to people just discovering Hardy and the work that he has done over the course of his career. We also get a, dependably, potent performance here from Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is terrific in the role of Cobb’s right-hand man/ mission planner of sorts Arthur and there is an action beat that he is involved in that will most assuredly leave you on the edge of your seat. Of course, I would also be amiss if I didn’t mention the great work done here by Elliot Page in the role of Ariadne. Indeed Page does an absolutely wonderful job here at bringing to life a character that yes is very much a newbie to this whole scheme, but is also I think in a way meant to serve as the eyes of the audience as well. A feat that Page manages to pull off quite admirably. Now I really do appreciate the intriguing and multileveled work done here by Marion Cotillard, but the truth is that the less I say about her character in this the better. Not only so I don’t even accidentally give anything away, but so that you can enjoy her character and arc in this slice of cinema as thoroughly as possible. Finally, hats off to both iconic acting legend Michael Caine in his extended cameo role of Cobb’s father-in-law as well as the always wonderful Cillian Murphy who, despite playing the team’s mark in this, manages to do a great job at making this character surprisingly and wonderfully empathetic rather than an archetype we have seen a million times before. Along with the aforementioned individuals among others, I also think praise must be given to both Tom Berenger who I was just glad to see in a mainstream movie again as well as the late yet iconic character actor Peter Postlethwaite in the last movie that he would make before his tragic and untimely demise due to cancer. Suffice it to say that this slice of cinema may have its issues, but the top-flight work done in front of the camera by this cast of players is definitely not one of them.
All in all and at the end of the day I would just like to say that if this slice of cinema seems even the teeniest tiniest bit confusing to you then congratulations because you are definitely not alone on that front. With that in mind though, there is no denying that the stereotypical phrase “mind-blowing” is one that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Inception’s phenomenal odyssey into the surreal locale of the human psyche. Indeed, much in the same vein as Memento, this is one slice of cinema that manages to construct itself on a few quite distinct and fairly ingenious concepts. Yet whereas the prior slice of cinema only decided to tinker with its’ narrative timeline right down to the chain of events which provides audiences with the information they need being significantly skewered, this slice of cinema is not about that. Instead, this one utilizes the concept of time to such an grander extent that it is able to mold and craft it to fit the enigma and exploits that are very much a vital part of this film. That and if you also then proceed to incorporate into this quite distinct mix a steady concentration on the already mysterious nature of dreams and the invasion, obstruction, and manipulative alteration by a distinct yet highly qualified team of experts and what you get is a slice of cinema that is so stunning, complicated, and brilliantly played out that it is one of those few movies that I think will definitely require you to see it more than once. Not just because you might find yourself befuddled and need to do another run through in order to catch everything you might have missed on your first viewing go-around, but also because you want to sit back and admire the phenomenal level of sheer brilliance that is playing out before your very eyes. Thus when you also factor in truly top-tier work on both sides of the camera, I think it can safely be said that if the old adage is true and the art form of cinema really is the collective dreams and nightmares of the world around us brought vividly to life for our viewing pleasure then the 2010 slice of cinema that is Inception definitely is one topsy-turvy, twisted, and exhilarating dream you undoubtedly will not be forgetting any time soon. Now if only I could figure out how Leo did that really cool magic trick with the spinning top….or was it that trick he did with the top that wasn’t spinning? Make of that what thou will dear reader…… On a scale of 1-5 I give Inception “2010” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
