Inception

Posted by benjamin on July 17, 2010

Director: Christopher Nolan
Rating: PG-13
Release: 2010
Language: English
Runtime: 148 minutes
Plot: Dom Cobb is a skilled thief, the absolute best in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb’s rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. — Yahoo! Movies

Let me start this review by stating that Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite current directors and I’ve enjoyed all his films minus one (Insomnia). Inception was also my most anticipated film of the summer. So as you can tell, the hype for this film was already prepared for me.

And the hype was justified as Christopher Nolan nailed this one. This may not have been Nolan’s first trip inside the human mind (Memento) but with Inception the audience is pulled inside the mind into a world that is as much a dream as it is real. With each scene you are left uncertain if you are in a dream or in reality preparing for the next dream. And that’s the real beauty of this film because he really gets the subtleties of dreams that we may talk about briefly but really never look to learn more about: How do I travel to different locations within dreams? How can so much happen within my dreams in such a small period of time? How vulnerable am I within my dream? How do I wake from a dream?

Now, Nolan cannot accomplish everything on his own and must trust the actors that he has collected for his vision. Therefore, Nolan enlists the help of the ever growing, Bat Pack (yes, I just coined that name). The Bat Pack, as you are probably already formulating in your mind, consists of Michael Caine, Christian Bale, Cillian Murphy, and Ken Watanabe. Inception contains all minus Christian Bale even though Caine’s appearance within the movie is minimal at best. Even with actors of these great talents, Nolan adds even more talent through DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard (Big Fish fame to me), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, and Ellen Page. Inception puts DiCaprio over the top for me in terms of an actor that I must see while the real star for me overall was Marion Cotillard. Cotillard’s character of Mal, DiCaprio’s wife in the film, combines a perfect mix of beauty, love, and creepiness. Yes, I said creepiness as her character consistently put me on edge and made me feel uncomfortable and weary of the relationship she had with DiCaprio’s character but I also wanted to see the two together for the love that was keeping them attached.

For a movie that clocks in at almost 2 and a half hours, I was weary about the pace of the film, much like I’m doing now with this review. Why would I doubt it would be anything less than perfect after seeing the Dark Knight? Well, yet again I was not disappointed. From the moment the film begins, we are off and running. In the beginning I was left wanting the speed to be slowed so that I could catch my breath and really think through what I was seeing but instead I was pulled along at the appropriate pace that was needed to keep us moving towards the conclusion. At the end of the film, I reflected back to realize that I never once questioned that speed should have changed because it was too slow or too fast other than I wanted the personal time to really think through the film.

In the end, Inception is a perfect ride through the world of dreams. Nolan’s story is new, interesting, and leaves me wanting to back to the theater to see it again and again just so I can find new elements to enjoy. As well as wrapping my mind around Nolan’s brilliant uses of escher visuals, including the one found within the poster above.

The Verdict:

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