"Inception" Film Review
Don't wake up, Inception is a really good dream.
3 1/2 Stars
Blog exclusive!
In a slumber of a summer movie season it’s hilariously ironic that the best film revolves around dreaming. Inception’s director Christopher Nolan likes to bend the rules when it comes to linear story-lines. Like Tarantino in the 90s, Christopher Nolan is a master of time manipulation. Inception revels is Nolan’s bag of tricks from start to finish. The plot centers around a dream thief, a highly skilled extractor named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team of assistants seeking to plant a idea into an unsuspecting energy company executive.
Inception’s plot elements are folded like an accordion, one intriguing bit on top of another. The gist of the story is accessible through a single viewing, but I recommend seeing Inception twice. My second viewing didn’t unearth any significant new information, but it really enabled me to focus on the characters and how they deal with their emotions and each other. Cobb (DiCaprio) was the biggest draw to me. A shell of his former self he dabbles in illegal activities in order to satisfy an Asian client (Ken Wantanabe) who may be able to reunite him with his children. DiCaprio obviously the finest actor of his generation plays the emotionally shattered Cobb so well that come Oscar season he may be glittering in trophy gold.
Besides the epic scale and scope of Inception and DiCaprio’s performance the rest of the cast really shine. A fine cast all around a few dashing lads really stand out including relative newcomer Tom Hardy (Eames) and Cillian Murphy (Fischer). Like many of Nolan’s films Inception’s plot seems plausible in real life. This is possible because much of the action and drama takes place in the dream world. Setting the story in the dream world helped to suspend my disbelief. Couple high-octane action with marital drama between Cobb and his enigmatic wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and you really get a juicy film.
Seeing Inception is an experience. In a few ways Inception is this decades The Matrix. It is intellectual and beautiful like The Matrix yet it is more accessible to a wider audience. The Matrix’s expensive universe and philosophy are still being discussed today with no clear end in site. The film deals with dogma and dogma will inherently stir up debate. Inception I believe (and I surely will have many who disagree) does have a clear ending. Cobb’s future is determined and he has left his unwanted past behind him. The debate about Inception doesn’t lie in its ending, but rather in it’s glorious buildup. Dark and dreamy, Inception is more experimental than your typical Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s also craftier. Of course it’s the years best thriller.
"Inception" was written and directed by Christopher Nolan.
©2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
3 1/2 Stars
Blog exclusive!
In a slumber of a summer movie season it’s hilariously ironic that the best film revolves around dreaming. Inception’s director Christopher Nolan likes to bend the rules when it comes to linear story-lines. Like Tarantino in the 90s, Christopher Nolan is a master of time manipulation. Inception revels is Nolan’s bag of tricks from start to finish. The plot centers around a dream thief, a highly skilled extractor named Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team of assistants seeking to plant a idea into an unsuspecting energy company executive.
Inception’s plot elements are folded like an accordion, one intriguing bit on top of another. The gist of the story is accessible through a single viewing, but I recommend seeing Inception twice. My second viewing didn’t unearth any significant new information, but it really enabled me to focus on the characters and how they deal with their emotions and each other. Cobb (DiCaprio) was the biggest draw to me. A shell of his former self he dabbles in illegal activities in order to satisfy an Asian client (Ken Wantanabe) who may be able to reunite him with his children. DiCaprio obviously the finest actor of his generation plays the emotionally shattered Cobb so well that come Oscar season he may be glittering in trophy gold.
Besides the epic scale and scope of Inception and DiCaprio’s performance the rest of the cast really shine. A fine cast all around a few dashing lads really stand out including relative newcomer Tom Hardy (Eames) and Cillian Murphy (Fischer). Like many of Nolan’s films Inception’s plot seems plausible in real life. This is possible because much of the action and drama takes place in the dream world. Setting the story in the dream world helped to suspend my disbelief. Couple high-octane action with marital drama between Cobb and his enigmatic wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) and you really get a juicy film.
Seeing Inception is an experience. In a few ways Inception is this decades The Matrix. It is intellectual and beautiful like The Matrix yet it is more accessible to a wider audience. The Matrix’s expensive universe and philosophy are still being discussed today with no clear end in site. The film deals with dogma and dogma will inherently stir up debate. Inception I believe (and I surely will have many who disagree) does have a clear ending. Cobb’s future is determined and he has left his unwanted past behind him. The debate about Inception doesn’t lie in its ending, but rather in it’s glorious buildup. Dark and dreamy, Inception is more experimental than your typical Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s also craftier. Of course it’s the years best thriller.
"Inception" was written and directed by Christopher Nolan.
©2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.
Good point about the Matrix comparison I was thinking the same thing when watching Inception. Also with the ending Cobb always has his wedding ring on in dream states and not in reality. In the end he doesn't have his wedding ring on meaning it is reality. Also wondering if you seen "Memento" another great film by Nolan.
ReplyDeleteMemento of course. The first time I watched Memento I was highly disappointed, not b/c it was a bad film, but b/c I was wrong about the twist. I was pissed that Nolan's script was too genius.
ReplyDeleteInception though is like the Matrix visually, yet it is a very different film. Inception isn't quite atypical Hollywood cinema, yet it is too big and too polished to be considered art-house cinema. It finds a happy middle ground. Oh and if you want a real laugh read Stephanie Zacharek's review on movieline (assuming you though Inception was bloody brilliant).
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