It’s no secret any single psychological or sci-fi thriller with some action will get a host of different reviews, as some will get it while others won’t. But, it’s this kind of story that makes me appreciate what filmmakers like Christopher Nolan do the most, as the thought and time behind such an idea is quite massive. Just being able to shape the film in a way that follows some order is almost impossible, not to mention building in all the characters and action sequences. More goes into it than you would expect, which is why I love films like “Inception” so much and why it makes for the perfect gift this holiday season.
Without giving away too much, the story here follows more of an idea than actual hard facts, but does so moving in and out of dream sequences that will make your mind go numb. And it’s within these dreams you find a host of characters all at the will of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who’s job was to go into a victim’s head and manipulate their dreams and projections. And by doing so, Cobb would steal dreams directly from the victim’s subconscious, a process he mastered along with Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to attract big corporate clients. This practice would enable him and his team to share dreams and build a greater base when some impossible job landed on their doorstep, like the one brought to them by Saito (Ken Watanabe), a CEO of one of the world’s top energy companies. Wanting to take down a rival company, Saito was no stranger to the business at which Cobb and Arthur specialized in, going as far as to surprising them within one of their own ‘dreams’ with his own request. It was then this entire story took a turn into the unknown, crossing reality and dreams as if they were one, defining a whole new world that will have you in awe by the times the credits roll.
It’s not often a film’s ‘look’ can overshadow the cast, but that’s precisely what happens when taking a peak at “Inception.” And even after seeing it, you spend so much time rehashing the story that you forget about the cast, which actually did one heck of a job. In fact, when looking back, it’s some of the best chemistry I have seen in quite a while, which was impressive given the depth of the story they were acting in. And at the helm was Leonardo DiCaprio, who continues to show me the wide range of talent he possesses each and every time he steps into focus on the big screen. There’s nothing this guy can’t do and sooner or later the Academy will have to give him an Oscar. Maybe it will be this role, as its one that carried a lot of weight in the story, both with conflict and emotion. But either way, DiCaprio seems to be getting better and better with each new film, a testament to his work ethic and love for film. Supporting DiCaprio was a host of great talent, all playing intricate roles within the well-crafted script written by Christopher Nolan. And although I won’t mention them all, just know the performances’ turned in by Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard was some of the best I have seen this year.
So, for those that think there’s no place in Hollywood for psychological thrillers anymore, have you met Christopher Nolan? Metaphorically speaking or not, this writer/director/producer knows what it takes to truly take your mind on a trip and do it in style. Forget the amazing work he has done in rebuilding the “Batman” franchise and just focus in on his so-called “other” films like “Memento,” “Insomnia,” “The Prestige” and “Inception.” For some, outside of “Inception,” this is the first time hearing of Nolan’s previous films not named “Batman Begins” or “The Dark Knight.” For everyone else, you might have heard or seen at least one of them. But either way, not one of these films was praised in the way it probably deserved to be, a common truth when it comes to this genre in Hollywood.
The essence that sets “Inception” apart from other films isn’t so much the incredible visuals, as much as the story that accompanies it. Knowing this single idea had been in Nolan’s head for the better part of 10 years makes sense when you start to dig down into all the layers within this film. Just the amount of detail put into it is amazing as nothing seemed to be out of place within the dreams or reality. This played a big part into why it was so easy to “let-go” while this story takes you in and out of a state of trance, all under a series of dreams that will have you paralyzed until the incredible score stops playing. And given all the levels within levels that accompany this maze of a story, I couldn’t be more taken back over the entire experience. So, if that doesn’t describe what Nolan accomplished with this film, I don’t know what does for a director that can do no wrong in Hollywood these days.
A+
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