INCEPTION:
- Is this film worth your time? YES. YES! And YES.
- Writer/Director: Christopher Nolan
- Cast: Leonard DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tom Hardy (Um, yum? Hunk dropped onto the collective laps of North Americans out of nowhere), Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard.
- Cinematography: Wally Pfister (Nolan's man, he has done everything you know Nolan for)
- Music: Hans Zimmer (Who else?)
I am a woman obsessed. Possessed by Inception and the heights that human creativity can take. The word genius is thrown around pretty lightly, but Chris Nolan merits the title.
I won't recite the plot - suffice it to say that the film it is about a world where it is possible to enter people's dreams and steal their ideas. Is it possible to plant ideas there too? and what are the consequences?
Nolan masterfully guides us through this world and gently forces us submit, go along for the ride and let our guards down. I found my emotions at the surface; and myself existing with a heightened sense of awareness. In this state of mind, even the death of a very old, multi-jigillionaire twit (within a dream no less!) made me pensive and depressed.
To me, Inception wasn't about the plot, the uncertain outcome (though I did run around asking everyone how they interpreted the ending), or anything else other than how the combination of everything made me feel. The music, the powerful acting, the competent direction and the creativity of the story all led me to truly feel the cliche concept that this world is full of infinite possibilities, made me want to get out of my seat, made me want to think, to understand, to act. Yes it was fantastic entertainment, but it was about a more lasting elevated sense of existence too.
I have read the words of many respectable critics who claim that the speed and complexity of this film does not allow us to connect with the characters and feel for them. I disagree emphatically. There is a scene where Cobb (Dicaprio) witnesses one of the most horrifying things someone can witness happen to the love of their life. His reaction is devastating, gripping and real. Aside from Sir Ben Kingsley's superb reaction to the tragedy of ...'s death in The House of Sand and Fog (I shan't spoil that movie), I can't remember being this affected by a scene of grief and devastation as I was in Inception. The scene is repeated twice, each time delivering a blow.
As big of a fan as I am, I do have one criticism. Action in film is of course fun - and a popular tool. But in this film, there were times when the quick pace and the constant jump between scenes proved to be tedious, having the effect of breaking one's focus, rather than adding excitement. This was particularly true of some scenes occurring in the snowy fortress.
The music in this movie is one the most important parts in delivering the impact it seeks, and the phenomental Hans Zimmer does not disappoint. I quite literally heard the melodies in my head throughout the next day. It is so deliciously ominous, matching the ominousness of Cotillard's character, Mal, perfectly.
All in all, I hadn't loved a movie this much in a long long time and I'm only slightly bothered by the fact that it had to be a blockbuster.
PS. Here is the link to the comic book that provides the backstory though it is not essential to understanding the film: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/inception-comic.html
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