Inception Review

"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange." - Cobb (DiCaprio) in 'Inception'

Have you ever been in a really good dream that seemed like it got better and better the longer you were in it? Have you ever felt that despair that comes from the realization that you had just woken up from that dream? Or felt that surreal sensation throughout the day that makes you wonder if that was a dream after all?

The phenomenon that is the movie 'Inception' is the big screen equilvalent of being inside that awe-inspiring dreamworld that captivates you as you sit motionlessly watching it unfold before your eyes. Christopher Nolan-the directive mind behind the 'Batman: The Dark Knight'- dishes us another reason to believe that he is in fact the most brilliant director this side of Spielberg. 'Inception' combines several cinematic ingredients together to create a movie that will not only define this summer of '10, but will also make a strong case for less 3-D sequals and more original movie ideas. Nolan and his wife to their credit not only directed the film, but wrote the screenplay and script. The brainchild of Nolan, 'Inception' became a possibility after the huge success of 'The Dark Knight'. The Big Screen hasn't had a creative idea like this since 'The Matrix'...and quite possibly has never had a creative idea like this in a PG-13 movie EVER.

The Ingredients
-New Concept: 'Dream Invasion'. The idea that multiple people can be in the same dream together through their sub-consious by plugging into a dream sharing device. Out of this singular concept a whole new universe of possibilities is discovered. Including 'Dream Architecture', 'Extraction' and 'Inception' itself.
-Heist: Cobb (DiCaprio) and his team are experts at Extraction (stealing ideas from someone's sub-conscious). This gives the movie the added thrill and urgency of a heist movie as they attempt Extraction and Inception throughout the film.
-Action: And not just normal shoot-em-up action. Nolan takes the unlimited creative space of the dreamworld to conjor up some awesome zero-gravity fight sequences.
-Personal Conflict: The questions surrounding the main character Cobb's past facilitate some interesting plot twists and turns.
-Complexity: With the jumping up and down through various levels of the dream (Dreams within Dreams), the viewer is constantly thinking and always on his toes to keep up as the movie, like a snowball, picks up more and more momentum and depth as it rolls on.

Some superb acting by all of the main characters (Noteworthy: DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard) makes the scenes emotionally charged and intense. 'Mal' (or the projection of Mal) played by Cotillard is downright scary at times and 'Eames' played by Tom Hardy adds some comic relief here and there to make the whole experience enjoyable.

Nolan knows how to make certain scenes more intense just using the music and knows when music will take away from the intensity. By either removing the background music altogether during fight sequences to emphasize the raw sounds of cars crashing or guns firing, or by increasing the decibals of the symphonic orchestra to intensify a scene; Nolan knows how to make the most out of an excellent score by Hans Zimmer.

A tell-tale way to know that the audience was captivated during the movie was at the last scene right when the credits rolled. Both times that I saw the movie the audience let out an exasperated "AHHhhhhhh" as the screen went to black...everyone wanting to know more.

All-in-all this was a masterpiece. A movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat during the film and keeps you guessing and thinking for days (maybe longer...it hasn't been a week since I last saw it and it consumes my mind still!). I can't remember the last time I saw a movie at the theater twice...but I couldn't resist and after seeing it opening day I had to go and see it again yesterday. My hat's off to the cast and crew of this movie.

The dreamworld seems more intriguing now than ever, and I wonder just how far our sub-conscious mind actually is from empowering our limited conscious mind to the point that we actually could create the way they create in dreamspace.

"Don't be afraid to dream a little bit bigger darling." Eames (Hardy)

Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller, Mystery, Drama, Action
Running time: 148 mins

Overall Rating = 97/100 stars