[This review does not contain spoilers. Because of the complexity of the film, you may not understand what the hell I’m talking about in this review. So if you don’t, watch the film and then read again.]
Pushing the boundaries of visual and intellectual creativity, Inception is bound to push you to the edge of your seat. Filled with awe-inspiring effects, complex ideas, explosive action and fast-paced dialogue; Inception, in my mind, is by far Christopher Nolan’s best piece yet, maybe even a masterpiece. I would say this movie is a slight mesh of Memento and The Dark Knight with a tinge of The Prestige but it blows all three movies out of the water. The film is long (two and a half hours) but it doesn’t feel it. The plot moves along very swiftly so buckle up and pay attention to every little detail. You cannot afford to miss 1 minute of this movie because if you do, you will have a hard time getting back up to speed.
Christopher Nolan plays with the idea of being able to invade other people’s dreams and subconscious. It might just be me but I find toying with the concept of subconsciousness for a movie extremely captivating. An absolutely stellar cast including Leonardo DiCaprio. Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine and Dileep Rao sets the foundation for this extraordinary movie. Each actor fits their character almost perfectly well, with the emotionally distraught Cobb (DiCaprio) to the suave, relaxed Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) to the hauntingly psychotic Mal (Cotillard).
Coming back to the conceptual brilliance, the idea for Inception was almost single-handedly conceived and carried out by the genius that is Christopher Nolan. He thoroughly deserves to be called a genius for writing and directing Inception. Aside from the brilliant intellectual idea the movie stems from, Nolan also brings such cinematical grandeur. There are some scenes in this movie that are just so good I was on the verge of tears, not as a result of emotions from the film, but rather because of what I was seeing before my eyes was just some of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen on the big screen. There are so many things in this movie that make you go “wow, how on Earth can anybody even come up with this kind of stuff?”. Having said that, nothing in this film is groundbreaking or never-before-seen stuff. It’s just the way scenes are executed. Just pure ingenuity.
Right from the get-go you are thrown around, luring you into confusion with the intertwined worlds of reality and dream. The first 15 minutes or so of this movie is one of the most difficult to pick up on. But once the initial concept is understood, more and more things start to make sense. So here I warn you once more. Pay close attention to this movie. There is no room for zoning out in this movie. You will get lost. The opening act does very well to explain the mechanics and concepts of the movie and the attention to detail in this film is just amazing. Each idea has a structure. Each rule has a purpose.
Everything in this movie including the visceral visual effects, outrageously brilliant ideas, well executed acting, high octane action and Hans Zimmer’s immersive soundtrack so seamlessly come together to stitch up a big thought-provoking labyrinth of a movie. Only every once in a while do we come across movies that make us doubt reality and life as we know it. Inception did that for me. In essence, Inception is a horror movie. Sweet dreams everybody.
I give Inception 9.5 out of 10 popcorns. A definite MUST-SEE film. I urge every single one of you reading this to rush out and see this film. It could very well be the best film of this year. One of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had.
