Review: “Inception”

“Inception”

Directed by: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Rated: PG-13

Showing at: Area theaters

In the long, expansive history of cinema, there are few movies that get inside the mind like “Inception.” Fewer still can make the proverbial mindf*** so pleasurable to watch. The film is a true rarity — a summer blockbuster that is both intelligent and action-packed, as visually pleasing as it is psychologically stimulating.
“Inception,” very broadly (that’s really the only way to briefly discuss this plot), is the story of Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), an American exile and dream extractor. Essentially, he’s a thief — a bank robber trying to break into the securest of vaults. After botching a mission in Japan, Cobb and his partner Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are offered a new job, one that will allow Cobb to finally return to America if he succeeds.
The goal is inception, the planting of an idea within a target’s mind. According to Arthur, this task is impossible, but Cobb believes otherwise. It’s simply a matter of depth. With that in mind, Cobb leads his team, and the audience, down the rabbit hole, into a dream within a dream within another dream.
If it sounds confusing, know that it is. In fact, the first twenty minutes of the film offer almost no solid ground to stand on. Our minds grasp at straws, and our curiosity, along with the phenomenal visuals, rivets us to our seats. When writer/director Christopher Nolan finally lets us catch up, we let out a mixed sigh — happy for some semblance of clarity, knowing full well that it’s about to get much more complicated and licking our chops in anticipation.
Make no mistake — the perplexity that arises is not a con. This is a movie that forces you to think, forces you to question every minute detail while it dazzles you with eye candy. Repeat viewing is a must, and even then you won’t have it all pieced together. Still, you’ll enjoy every minute of trying.
Nolan’s script took the better part of a decade to write, and it shows in the complexity of the storyline. There are so many layers, so many subtle intricacies. There’s so much material that Nolan could make thirty movies set in the same universe and never exhaust its possibilities. It’s a safe bet that he won’t commit such a crime; the film’s arc is ideal as is.
On the directing front, Nolan again impresses. The scenes between Cobb and his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) are shot wonderfully, highlighting their bond, their tragedy and Cobb’s terror. The action sequences are frenetic and visually stunning, and one moment, which I won’t spoil, is immaculately filmed — this simple shot will undoubtedly inspire endless debate.
Let’s backtrack for a moment to the visuals, particularly an inventive hallway fight scene. The battle takes place in a dream, between Arthur and a group of security guards hell-bent on killing him. The Michael Bays and George Lucases of the world would have immediately jumped to CGI, but Nolan had his team build a series of rotating hallways so he could do the scenes for real. The result is one of the coolest-looking fight scenes in film history.
“Inception” is solid on paper, but the quality acting really brings it to life. Leonardo DiCaprio is as slick as he is poignant, showing why he continues to be the go-to superstar for contemporary auteurs. Marion Cotillard artlessly evokes pity, love and fear in her various incarnations of Mal. Tom Hardy, who plays team member Eames , brings a bit of levity to an otherwise serious film. Joseph Godron-Levitt is surprisingly stiff as Arthur, but the aforementioned fight scene gives him enough badass cred to make up for it.
On every level, “Inception” is an enthralling film. There’s plenty of uncertainty when all is said and done, but that’s to be admired and enjoyed. All the ambiguity does leave an aftertaste, one that harks back to Homer Simpson’s immortal words, “I think I brained my damage.”

4/4 Stars