Review: INCEPTION

“You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” – Eames

This line spoken by Eames, played by Tom Hardy (BRONSON), truly sums up so much about Christopher Nolan and his newest film INCEPTION. From a director already known for delivering original, mind-entangling and powerful films, INCEPTION is his precious baby of some 10 years in conception, now ready to be unleashed upon the world in all its glory. To put it simply, INCEPTION is one of those films too difficult to summarize effectively without spoilers. INCEPTION bends various genres to its will, combining elements of science-fiction and mystery with an intellectual story and blockbuster appeal. INCEPTION is a smart, action-packed heist film that makes the audience think.

Essentially, the story follows an extremely talented extractor named Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he develops a team and formulates a plan to pull off the seemingly impossible… “Inception” or the planting of an idea in the mind of another without their knowing the idea was not their own. The science-fiction behind this is a bit complicated and, to be honest, not entirely important to the understanding of the film, yet still very fascinating and useful in creating the layered, enigmatic world of INCEPTION.

An extractor, to give a better understanding going into the film, is a person who specializes in “stealing” secrets from the minds of others. However, this is an endeavor that requires a team. Cobb’s team consists of his “architect” Ariadne (Ellen Page) made available to him by his mentor Miles (Michael Caine), his “point man” Arthur (Joseph Gordon Levitt), his “forger” Eames (Tom Hardy) and a biochemist named Yusuf (Dileep Rao). Together with Saito (Ken Watanabe) – Cobb’s employer on this job – the team proceeds to enter the mind of “the mark” Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy) through his dreams, but the journey will not be what any of them expected and everything will hang in the balance of Cobb’s own sense of reality.

INCEPTION was directed by Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker who brought us both chapters of the current BATMAN reboot, as well as THE PRESTIGE and MEMENTO, among other films deserving of praise. The film is 2 hours and 35 minutes in length, or so the official counter says. INCEPTION does not feel long in any sense of the word. For some, the beginning of the film may tread lightly on a slower pace, but this is quickly remedied.

One of the things Nolan does so remarkably well is to integrate sound and music into his films to enhance the emotional impact and – as is exceedingly evident in INCEPTION – move the story along at a comfortable and appropriate pace, without drawing attention to its self. This, perhaps more than any other element, is what allows INCEPTION’s long running time to feel much shorter, similar in context to how those who delve into the dream-state experience time faster than in their waking, conscious state. A few minutes in the “real” world may be up to a few hours in the dream-state.

Hans Zimmer’s score for INCEPTION is truly a thing to behold – powerful, mesmerizing and jarring all at once – the music embodies a technologically tweaked world of dreams that is more about feeling than wild visual imagery. While many films rely on a more traditional, orchestral sounding score, Zimmer creates a sound far more synthetic, employing deep rumbling horn sounds and electronic enhancements to take us deeper into the dream.

While INCEPTION does not rely on special effects, those Nolan chose to incorporate are simply mind-blowing. During a scene when Cobb explains the intricacies of designing a dream, the two walk within a dream state as Ariadne toys with what would happen if she turned physics upside-down within a dream. The result is straight-forward, but truly awe-inspiring. Other examples include the relatively low-key but intriguing idea of the stairway as a paradox, and the most impressive feat being the zero-gravity fight scene between Arthur and one of many militarized subconscious projections, intended to protect the dreamer from foreign invading elements… aka, extractors.

The manufactured landscapes of INCEPTION are realistic, but emit an aural glow of surrealism. Part Rene Magrite and part M.C. Escher, the “architecture” of INCEPTION’s dream scenes will induce wide-eyes and slack jaws, but once again – and I cannot emphasize this enough – do not draw away from the story or distract the viewer.

All around, the cast of INCEPTION delivers a solid and even-keeled performance. Personally, I felt Tom Hardy and Marion Cotillard – who plays Mal, Cobb’s wife – delivered exceptionally well and Ken Watanabe also shines. This is a highly valuable attribute for a script as complex and detailed as this. INCEPTION is a heavily cerebral story, with a plot that is vivid and textural, with layers stacked upon layers, but the story never become so involved or convoluted that the viewer loses focus or comprehension. This alone is an accomplishment that makes INCEPTION a must-see film.

One thing is for sure about INCEPTION and that’s a need for this film to be recognized come Oscar season. Both for Best Picture and Best Director, the film deserves nominations, as well as for the special effects and score. There is so much to enjoy in this movie, so much that will appeal to viewers – from those who enjoyed THE MATRIX, MEMENTO or even James Bond films in the later portion of the movie — but never does INCEPTION feel unoriginal or old hat. While the entire concept of the film will have viewers mentally and philosophically engaged, the ending more than anything else will have people talking for days afterward, something few films do these days.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars