Movies Reviews

Inception – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Jul 14, 2010, 17:47 GMT

Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan directs an international cast in an original sci-fi actioner that travels around the globe and into the intimate and infinite world of dreams. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) 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 ...more

Inception is visually, aurally and thematically brilliant, something entirely new in cinema, a landmark for Chris Nolan and film in general.

Nolan manages to recreate dreams and the feeling of dreams tucked inside a Byzantine plot that in itself is an extended dream, and he does it with intensity and grace.

It’s a jam packed 148 minutes that demands close attention and rewards with the satisfaction of completing the puzzle and experiencing the emotions that come of playing with the dimensions of our existence. Pondering the extent of Nolan’s imagination is a journey in itself.

It begins with the premise that ideas are like bacteria or viruses, they are fixed inside us and cannot be eradicated. It’s a promising start; we all know what it is to be seized with a passion or idea that drives us and changes our lives.

It helps define us as human. Nolan says he’s been obsessed with the idea of the story since he was a boy. And now it stands as an astonishing achievement and sea change in storytelling and cerebral cinema.

Nolan’s psychological thriller concerns a secret plot to get inside the mind of an heir to a massive corporation and using his own psychological makeup, manipulate him into splitting the company.

Hacking Facebook accounts, government missile secrets, and financial records is a pittance compared to the theft/violation of this future crime.

Leonardo Di Caprio plays a gifted ‘extractor’ who can get inside others’ dreams, and take over their will. He’s in demand by corporations to carry out their intelligence and espionage operations but he’s also on the run for past deeds.

He’s haunted by his late wife (Marion Cotillard) and his own dreams of her have begun to interfere with his work. Is she dead or alive or only alive in his dreams? Can he live forever in his dreams with her?

Nolan’s cast, including Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Pete Postlethwaite, Cillian Murphy, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was sworn to secrecy but chances are, they would have a hard time properly describing it; it’s breathtaking to behold and challenging to define and must be experienced on the screen.

Di Caprio is certainly ‘infected’ by the role of Cobb; he shows tremendous focus and drive within a very difficult psychological role. He’s a great actor and equal to this part.

Gordon-Levitt does a muscular job as Cobb’s lieutenant and carries out a lengthy weightless people moving maneuver that will have audiences rubbing their eyes in disbelief and dreaming about later that night.

The broken landscapes, swirling cities, and storm of flying objects of the trailers are certainly attention worthy but the films true strengths are its mystical, mathematical, and realistic forays into psychological territory, and its sophisticated execution, which trusts the intelligence of the audience.

The Belgian film Mr. Nobody starring Jared Leto also delves into the mindscape cleverly and in its own unique manner. It’s worth seeing both films. And then taking a long, restful nap.