Set in a somewhat futuristic present day world, Inception stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, a professional thief who specializes in stealing from people’s dreams. He takes on one last job with his team (Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy plus new recruit Ellen Page) from a Japanese business man (Ken Watanabe) who promises to erase his vague legal issues, which will allow Cobb to reunite with his two children, who are back home in the States.
To explain any further only gives things away. I can tell you, though, that this “one last job” is not to steal an idea form the “mark” (played by Cillian Murphy), but to implant one; a feat which is said to be impossible. At the very least, “inception” involves a considerable amount of risk, and hence, a thriller is born.
Christopher Nolan has proven his worth to me more times than one. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of his films, (even Insomnia, which isn't as highly regarded) and his screen-writing abilities only further intrigue me. (How does a mind like his exist?) A common theme among his films is jumping back and forth between time frames within the film, creating an intricate puzzle that can leave the viewer confused, yet wholly satisfied by film’s end.
As someone who commonly remembers his dreams, I was blown away with how detailed and intricate the script was in dealing with the human subconscious. I’ve picked apart my own dreams to figure out what certain themes may represent, or how seemingly random moments and people from your life can just pop-up within these - as I like to put it - “movies of the mind.” With Inception, Nolan incorporates all of these ideas, and explains them in a way that is existential, yes, but without the common art-house pretentiousness. After all, this is a heist film at its core; and what is a summer blockbuster without action?
The film is shot beautifully, with, most importantly for this film fan, limited CGI. The zero gravity fight scene, which rivals anything from the Matrix, was done with a rotating set & cable work. This method allows the viewer to believe the unbelievable aspects of this world, because it doesn’t look like it was done with a computer.
At 2 ½ hours, the film didn’t feel long to me. In fact, it moved along at pretty slick pace, which was heightened by the fantastic score which underlined the entire film. I sensed both the urgency and the excitement that was being presented, and I was completely hooked form the beginning. As I mentioned before, my eyes were locked on the visuals, while my mind was being blown apart. A movie that does that is worth viewing again…and in this case, you’ll probably have to just to fully-grasp its complexity.
5 Dented Bumpers*
*Crash’s Film Rating Legend:
5 DB’s -- Freaking Fantastic! (a rating that’s not easily attained.)
4–4.5 DB’s -- Great: It’s worth seeing again/owning.
3–3.5 DB’s -- Decent – Good (I’d watch it again on cable)
2–2.5 DB’s -- Meh; (possibly had potential, but I won’t watch it again)
1DB -- Awful; I want my money back.
Anything less is not even worth downloading illegally
