A Thomas Bess review of:
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao
Run Time: 148 city-folding, gravity-defying, skull-tripping minutes.
Before we get to the review proper, lemme just take a line or two to separate the theater-going wheat from the chaff. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re the kind who can’t keep their phone off for ninety minutes, let alone almost two and a half hours, don’t even bother with Inception. If not for your own sake, then for those who may have been unfortunate enough to sit around or behind you at your chosen showing. Because, while Christopher Nolan’s latest is most definitely a summer blockbuster (or, if there’s any justice left at the box office, it will be) it is also a story that demands you actually keep your attention glued to the screen to figure out just what the hell is going on. Which is not to say that the plot is particularly complex, because beneath all the crazy “dream within a dream within a dream” ideas and the reality twisting special effects lies a great caper story. Again, it’s not hard to follow, but if you’re dividing your attention between what’s on screen and whatever’s on your phone, you’re bound to get lost and I for one have no sympathy for you.
The Plot
The plot, (being even more careful than normal to avoid spoilers) goes something like this. Somewhere in the near future, technology has been created that will allow a person (or persons) to enter into someone else’s dreams, usually for the purpose of stealing a bit of information the dreamer wants to keep hidden. One of these “extractors” is a fellow by the name of Dom Cobb (DiCaprio) who’s been approached by business mogul Seito (Watanabe) to get into the head of rival tycoon, Fischer (Murphy). But rather than stealing a secret, Seito wants to plant an idea, a concept more commonly known as Inception. So, along with a team that includes another extractor (Gordon-Levitt) a forger (Hardy) a chemist (Rao) and an architect of dream spaces (Page) Cobb ventures into Fischer’s mind and as you might’ve guessed, things do not go entirely as planned, thanks most in part to Cobb’s own emotional baggage in the form of his dead wife, Mal (Cotillard) a memory / specter who wanders his mind like a much classier, clearer skinned take on Freddy Kreuger. To say much more would be a crime, so I’ll leave it at this — even if you think you know where the flick is going, it’ll probably dump you on your head several times before the credits roll.
The Good
What’s good? First and foremost is the story, which I’m not ashamed to admit, had me glued from the opening scene. Now the most cynical among you will argue that there’s nothing in Inception that we haven’t seen done in other films (The Matrix, Ocean’s Eleven, the 007 flicks and Elm Street come immediately to mind) and I can’t argue with that, but the way Nolan puts it all together is nothing short of engrossing. Casting is also a big part of what makes the story work and everyone on board does a great job, with DiCaprio, Page and Gordon-Levitt standing out the most. As a fan of Cillian Murphy’s work I would’ve liked him to have a little more to do throughout, but he does great and hopefully this will lead to bigger roles in other mainstream flicks. (Hell, just bring him back for Batman 3, c’mon Nolan, ya know you want to). Anyone who’s seen the trailer knows the special effects are astounding, with highlights being Paris folding in on itself and a prolonged zero gravity fight sequence in a hotel. And what makes these effects even better is that that movie doesn’t have to rely on them to keep the plot moving forward. In this case they’re more like delightfully trippy icing on a cake made of mystery and in a time where so many flicks are little more than demo reels for FX technicians, it makes the weirdness all the more potent.
The Not So Good
What’s not good? I thought some of the relational mechanics between the real world and the dream world could’ve been fleshed out a little more, especially when they start delving into the concept of dipping into someone’s dream, who is in fact already inside someone else’s dream. The more layers involved, the more complicated it gets and you could in fact distract yourself with a whole series of “What if?” questions if you’re not careful. Another facet that might bother some — there’s not really a flesh and blood villain to be found. Mal’s pretty intense / creepy, no question about that, and the “projections” of a dreamer’s subconscious mind can prove formidable adversaries, but there’s nothing in the way of an outside antagonist who is aware of Cobb’s plan and attempting to stop it. That said, the tension never suffers because of this, just know going in that there’s not really a final showdown between hero and villain. Finally, there’s the matter of the ending. It’s not a bad ending by any means and I’d wager you’ll have it pegged by the halfway point BUT Nolan throws a little wrinkle in at the very last second that, should you ever meet the man in person, will make you want to offer hearty congratulations or punch him square in the face and quite possibly both.
Should You See It?
Should you see it? If you’re looking for a cool, dark place to turn your brain off for a few hours or if you have no interest in discussing / mulling what you’ve just seen, then no, stay far, far away. For everyone else, get thee to a theater and check it the hell out.
The Verdict
Usually my ratings are, hmmmh, let’s say a bit ambiguous. None of that this time out, just see this movie.
Til next time, always remember that the calls are coming from inside the house.
Tom Bess recently shaved his legendary sideburns at a cost of two hours and five pounds. The end result is a slightly puffier, but much more aerodynamic movie-reviewing machine who is still patiently waiting for Allison Mack to return his calls. While he’s waiting, he’ll read copious amounts of Lovecraft and eat too many Peach Gummy Bears.
