Film Reviews: Inception

Inception

2010

Director: Christopher Nolan

Screenplay: Christopher Nolan

Think back to last night when you fell asleep.  You closed your eyes.  You drifted into a deep sleep.  What did you dream about?  Where did your mind wonder off too?  In the movie event of the summer, Inception, the film focuses on the dream within a dream within a dream and well...you get the picture.  The film is centered around Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a highly skilled thief who specializes in extraction, where he enters the mind of other people to steal their dreams or ideas.  Cobb is hired by Saito (Ken Watanabe), a powerful businessman who’s motives are to instead of taking out ideas from someones mind, but to plant, or Inception, an idea into the mind.  The subject is a business rival Robert Fischer Jr (Cillian Murphy) who’s father is passing away, and Saito needs Cobb to get the idea into Murphy’s mind that he should break away from the empire his father has created and build his own legacy, which will help Saito control the energy market.  Cobb takes on this tough task in order to clear his name for a crime he is blamed for and is forced out of the United States.  Saito claims that with one simple phone call, Cobb’s life will be returned to him if he helps Saito complete this mission.

In agreement with Saito, Cobb now begins to assemble his “dream team” of mind thieves.  Included is Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Ariadne (Ellen Page), Eames (Tom Hardy), and Yusuf (Dileep Rao), all of which bring different skills and motives to the job.  The film now becomes your classic “heist” movie, but no one could anticipate all the twists and turns that comes with completing this job.  Cobb’s late wife, Mal, has a habit of showing up in Cobb’s subconscious and seems to try and wreck havoc over all that the team has been attempting to complete. 

The cast is simply brillant. An odd grouping to say the least, but the chemistry and dynamic of the group really seems to flow.  However, we cannot over look the biggest star of the film, which is undoubted the direction of Christopher Nolan.  Nolan has since become a household name after the smash hits of “The Dark Knight” and “Batman Begins.” The visual effects and images that Nolan provides us with truly capture the element of the movie.  The plot itself is fascinating, but that is merely topped by the imagery and depths that your mind is forced to go to.  The final hour of the film is arguably the most complex action sequences ever completed.  Not to give away any spoilers, audience needs to focus on the many “layers” of the film as well as take in all the new information that is being put in front of you.  Nolan delivers what could be his first true masterpiece.  

4/4