Inception (A or 4/4 stars)
I'd like to think that most movie-goers are sick of remakes, sequels, regurgitated themes & cliched plotlines. They want something fresh, engaging, & daring. It's what I want. And I GOT it with Christopher Nolan's 'Inception'. Imagine a future where technology exists that enables dream extractors to enter & manipulate people's dreams. The subject may even be aware that they are dreaming. And this technology also allows for multiple people to share that dream all at once! One of the best dream extractor/thieves around is a man with a checkered past named Dom Cobb (Leo DiCaprio); who is hired by corporate clients to infiltrate people's minds & coerce them into revealing their deepest business secrets. A fugitive, Cobb was forced to flee America & leave his children behind.
All he wants is a way to clear his name & get home. And a rich business tycoon named Saito (Ken Watanabe) is the man to provide him that opportunity. If Cobb can pull-off this one final job, Saito will use his connections to allow him safe passage back to America. For this job, Saito informs Cobb that his final target will be rival, Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), who's due to inherit a $billion corporate empire built by his dad (Pete Posthelthwaite). This final task is made unique, however, when Saito requests - not a dream extraction - but an inception; the planting of an idea INTO Robert Fischer's subconscious that will bear future results in his waking life. Most dream 'thieves' believe inception is impossible, but Cobb has done it before; though, with disastrous results. It cost him his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard) ... who still haunts his own dreams. So yes, inception is dangerous, unpredictable ... but possible.
To perform this risky inception process, Cobb assembles a team: right-hand man, Arthur (Joseph-Gordon Levitt); dream architect (who builds dream worlds), Ariadne (Juno's Ellen Page), who studies under Cobb's father-in-law (Michael Caine); a dream forger (he can morph into another's identity) named Eames (Tom Hardy); & Yusef (Dileep Rao), a chemist whose drugs can sustain sleep or kick-start alertness {I'd like some of that, haha}. This team must travel into multiple layers of dream-within-dreams to attempt the inception that Saito so desperately wants. Can the team pull off this form of espionage? Can Cobb achieve redemption? Who will come out unscathed, damaged ... even duped? What is dream & what is reality? Is there any distinction?
I am gob-smacked. 'Inception' will undoubtedly have its detractors. Some people may find it irreparably confusing. And if you temporarily leave the theater or zone out, it may be difficult to keep up. Having said that, I loved it, 'most' of the reviews for this film have been great, & word of mouth (from audiences) is extremely high. I am thrilled that films which allow for imagination & ambiguity are getting through to America's movie-goers. Funny enough, this film & Shutter Island are 2 of my favorite films of the year, & they not only both include DiCaprio in the leading role, but they also toy with the protagonist's skewed perspective, a team on a mission, grief/guilt over a mysterious wife, & the intersection of reality with delusion. The parallels are pretty incredible.
In terms of ambition & audacity, 'Inception' is the kind of film that only comes around a few times per year, if that. And Christopher Nolan shows that he's not willing to rest on his laurels (instead of basking in the success of The Dark Knight). If anything, he reminds me of Spielberg (in his heyday) when he kept churning out great film after great film in 2 yr. intervals. His original screenplay can be enjoyed for both its stunning visuals, as well as the dark, sad emotional puzzle at its core. The story is designed to leave us thinking & talking about it afterwards -- brilliant. And yet, for as great as the writing is, I think Lee Smith's editing is actually the strongest suit. To make a 2 hour & 25 min. film go relatively quickly; and to incorporate a final act with a massive, interweaving, 3-layer dreamscape of varying choreographed sequences that sustains suspense, danger, & catharsis is one Hell of a feat.
Wally Pfister's interior lighting is wonderfully moody, & his exterior shots (Paris, Tokyo, Morocco, Canada) are beautiful. The art direction of the dreamscapes are exceptional in that the realization of the subconscious is strange, gorgeous, and yet, grounded in reality. The costumes are slick. The sound design is incredible (though, that was magnified in my IMAX viewing). The action is for action's sake, really. But it's very well done. The visual effects? Whether it was Paris' descent upon itself in mirror image, or Joseph-Gordon Levitt's gravity defying hallway fight scene, or watching massive cliffs cascade into the sea ... I sat in utter awe (looking at the people sitting on either side of me with my jaw dropped). And Hans Zimmer's pounding musical score kept me consistently on edge.
Having the weight of a huge movie on his shoulders once again, Leo is stellar as the suave, but fragile Cobb. It's a difficult role, executed with confidence & ease. I think Leo's emotional journey in Shutter Island is more grueling than 'Inception', but he still imparts subtle character traits throughout this film which make us ponder the ending, as well as provide us an emotional center. I also enjoyed the secondary characters & their intra-team camaraderie. Ellen Page pleasantly surprised me as architect in the dream world maze; we learn about inception as she does. Joseph-Gordon Levitt is awesome; with his cheeky dialogue, knowing smirks, & law of physics dream maneuvering. Tom Hardy impressed me with his brute wit as body shifter, Eames. Cillian Murphy is wonderful as Robert, the son-in-the-shadow. And Marion Cotillard's Mal was able to shock me, scare me, as well as reel me in to her vulnerability; depending on the dream we see her in.
Christopher Nolan establishes a fascinating world; with mind-bending narrative structures, symbols, dream-infused trapdoors, deadly stunts, & hidden secrets. I can't say that I caught every minute detail on my first watch. It's a powerful, complicated film that's more effective for its intellect & visuals than it's emotional potency. But there's much to savor (the notion that humans will opt for positive catharsis; & the resolution of Robert's story is very moving). 'Inception' resolves well (emotionally) so that the adventure feels complete; even if the ending is left ambiguous {love that}. Much like The Dark Knight, it's a film that demands further study to fully absorb and play around with all the delicious interpretations of character & plot. And I, for one, can't wait to dive into the dream again.
All he wants is a way to clear his name & get home. And a rich business tycoon named Saito (Ken Watanabe) is the man to provide him that opportunity. If Cobb can pull-off this one final job, Saito will use his connections to allow him safe passage back to America. For this job, Saito informs Cobb that his final target will be rival, Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), who's due to inherit a $billion corporate empire built by his dad (Pete Posthelthwaite). This final task is made unique, however, when Saito requests - not a dream extraction - but an inception; the planting of an idea INTO Robert Fischer's subconscious that will bear future results in his waking life. Most dream 'thieves' believe inception is impossible, but Cobb has done it before; though, with disastrous results. It cost him his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard) ... who still haunts his own dreams. So yes, inception is dangerous, unpredictable ... but possible.
To perform this risky inception process, Cobb assembles a team: right-hand man, Arthur (Joseph-Gordon Levitt); dream architect (who builds dream worlds), Ariadne (Juno's Ellen Page), who studies under Cobb's father-in-law (Michael Caine); a dream forger (he can morph into another's identity) named Eames (Tom Hardy); & Yusef (Dileep Rao), a chemist whose drugs can sustain sleep or kick-start alertness {I'd like some of that, haha}. This team must travel into multiple layers of dream-within-dreams to attempt the inception that Saito so desperately wants. Can the team pull off this form of espionage? Can Cobb achieve redemption? Who will come out unscathed, damaged ... even duped? What is dream & what is reality? Is there any distinction?
I am gob-smacked. 'Inception' will undoubtedly have its detractors. Some people may find it irreparably confusing. And if you temporarily leave the theater or zone out, it may be difficult to keep up. Having said that, I loved it, 'most' of the reviews for this film have been great, & word of mouth (from audiences) is extremely high. I am thrilled that films which allow for imagination & ambiguity are getting through to America's movie-goers. Funny enough, this film & Shutter Island are 2 of my favorite films of the year, & they not only both include DiCaprio in the leading role, but they also toy with the protagonist's skewed perspective, a team on a mission, grief/guilt over a mysterious wife, & the intersection of reality with delusion. The parallels are pretty incredible.
In terms of ambition & audacity, 'Inception' is the kind of film that only comes around a few times per year, if that. And Christopher Nolan shows that he's not willing to rest on his laurels (instead of basking in the success of The Dark Knight). If anything, he reminds me of Spielberg (in his heyday) when he kept churning out great film after great film in 2 yr. intervals. His original screenplay can be enjoyed for both its stunning visuals, as well as the dark, sad emotional puzzle at its core. The story is designed to leave us thinking & talking about it afterwards -- brilliant. And yet, for as great as the writing is, I think Lee Smith's editing is actually the strongest suit. To make a 2 hour & 25 min. film go relatively quickly; and to incorporate a final act with a massive, interweaving, 3-layer dreamscape of varying choreographed sequences that sustains suspense, danger, & catharsis is one Hell of a feat.
Wally Pfister's interior lighting is wonderfully moody, & his exterior shots (Paris, Tokyo, Morocco, Canada) are beautiful. The art direction of the dreamscapes are exceptional in that the realization of the subconscious is strange, gorgeous, and yet, grounded in reality. The costumes are slick. The sound design is incredible (though, that was magnified in my IMAX viewing). The action is for action's sake, really. But it's very well done. The visual effects? Whether it was Paris' descent upon itself in mirror image, or Joseph-Gordon Levitt's gravity defying hallway fight scene, or watching massive cliffs cascade into the sea ... I sat in utter awe (looking at the people sitting on either side of me with my jaw dropped). And Hans Zimmer's pounding musical score kept me consistently on edge.
Having the weight of a huge movie on his shoulders once again, Leo is stellar as the suave, but fragile Cobb. It's a difficult role, executed with confidence & ease. I think Leo's emotional journey in Shutter Island is more grueling than 'Inception', but he still imparts subtle character traits throughout this film which make us ponder the ending, as well as provide us an emotional center. I also enjoyed the secondary characters & their intra-team camaraderie. Ellen Page pleasantly surprised me as architect in the dream world maze; we learn about inception as she does. Joseph-Gordon Levitt is awesome; with his cheeky dialogue, knowing smirks, & law of physics dream maneuvering. Tom Hardy impressed me with his brute wit as body shifter, Eames. Cillian Murphy is wonderful as Robert, the son-in-the-shadow. And Marion Cotillard's Mal was able to shock me, scare me, as well as reel me in to her vulnerability; depending on the dream we see her in.
Christopher Nolan establishes a fascinating world; with mind-bending narrative structures, symbols, dream-infused trapdoors, deadly stunts, & hidden secrets. I can't say that I caught every minute detail on my first watch. It's a powerful, complicated film that's more effective for its intellect & visuals than it's emotional potency. But there's much to savor (the notion that humans will opt for positive catharsis; & the resolution of Robert's story is very moving). 'Inception' resolves well (emotionally) so that the adventure feels complete; even if the ending is left ambiguous {love that}. Much like The Dark Knight, it's a film that demands further study to fully absorb and play around with all the delicious interpretations of character & plot. And I, for one, can't wait to dive into the dream again.