Trippy and sharply written, INCEPTION raises more questions about the nature of reality than any film in recent memory. Although comparisons to the MATRIX will be made, INCEPTION is more sophisticated leaving a deeper impression on viewers. And criticism that this film is out of place as a summer release is unfounded, this is one exciting movie.
Following a talented thief named Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he infiltrates the dreams of others and seeks to remove sensitive information for his clients, INCEPTION throws us head first into a warped universe where reality is questioned at every turn. When a rich client named Saito (Ken Watanabe) pitches a very special job to Cobb and his team, they are immediately torn. The job is something that only Cobb has done before and the risks are very high—you could get stuck in a subconscious limbo leaving your brain scrambled. But Cobb has no choice, taking the job may give him his last chance to return home to his children where he can start his real life again.
It would do a disservice to viewers to reveal too much about the story. One of the joys of INCEPTION is that it is unique, particularly during a summer dominated by sequels and remakes. It will not spoil things, however, to reveal that Cobb and his team take the dangerous job and embark on a very intricate heist of sorts. And like many heist movies, Cobb assembles a team with special talents. The movie takes time explaining the rules of the dream infiltration business setting up the players not as humorous caricatures but as skilled tacticians. For example, Ellen Page plays Ariadne who’s recruited to be the architect for the team. And architect constructs the dream that will be shared by the team and the subject. Her interview with Cobb for the position consists of drawing mazes. There’s no special effects in this scene and like so much in the film it is fascinating.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan whose last movie was the now classic THE DARK NIGHT, INCEPTION is masterfully crafted and conceived. Although I had issues with the dreams devolving into a series of gun-fights and action set-pieces reminiscent of a James Bond film, it is hard to argue with the pacing and key story elements Nolan has developed. And the scene created is so lush and impressive that it alone is worth watching. Onto this textured, layered canvas, Nolan places rich characters led by Cobb as a tortured man suffering from a great loss that he may be responsible for.
Nolan’s strength as a writer and a director is the only reason a movie like this could be made. While other smaller films have explored the nature of dreams, few directors have had the budget to produce something this handsome and fully realized. And Nolan’s presence on the project managed to lure a dream cast with Leonardo DiCaprio not disappointing in the role of Cobb. DiCaprio, whose physical appearance as he’s grown older has mirrored his choices for roles, plays Cobb with a great amount of maturity. While we’ve seen a tortured DiCaprio before (recently in SHUTTER ISLAND), here the story makes maximum use of his magnetic empathy—we feel his pain. Sure it sounds trite, but the link we have to Cobb is a combination of great writing and great acting pure and simple.
INCEPTION is like nothing else at the theaters this summer. And it will spawn rich discussions at cocktail parties for years to come.
