"INCEPTION" Review

Inception is easily the best big budget film of the year so far and probably one of the most beautiful, well written, and fully realized high dollar films of the last five years. Inception is the story of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a thief of the mind called an extractor who enters the dreams of high powered individuals and steals their secrets via an architect. The architect is responsible for building the world of the dreamer, convincing them their surroundings are real. Dom is assisted by his friend and colleague Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the voice of reason in Dom’s life. We’re brought into the beginning of the story in the middle of an extraction, in the mind of sleeping energy company CEO Saito (Ken Watanabe). What seems to be a routine extraction turns into what the entire film ends up being; a question of what is what, when, and who is aware. Christopher Nolan pulls together a top notch cast to fill out the world of Inception. Ellen Page is great as Ariadne, Cobb’s new and highly talented architect. Page plays Ariadne with both strength and vulnerability all at the same time. She, in many ways, becomes more of an asset to Cobb than long-time partner Arthur when it comes to dealing with deeper issues. While Arthur probably knows Dom better than anyone, he’s not emotionally open enough to say many of the things that Ariadne does. As Arthur, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays yet another part to subtle perfection. Gordon-Levitt picked a fantastic vehicle to step out of the indie circuit and into a big budget production. Arthur is the rock to Cobb’s sometime erratic shifting-sand personality. They are a complimentary team, and it is great seeing their interaction on screen. The biggest surprise is probably Leonardo DiCaprio. In almost everything he’s done to this point, the impression is usually that of watching DiCaprio perform a part, but always being present. Be it Romeo, Howard Hughes, or Jim Carroll — it was always that character as presented through the prism of Leonardo DiCaprio. Not so in Inception. DiCaprio is Dom Cobb. DiCaprio sells the film the moment he’s on screen, and you’re glued to him from start to finish. Dom spends most of the film attempting to mute his own emotions, hiding his painful secrets. When he’s finally no longer able to keep them under wraps, DiCaprio puts on an incredible performance. Ken Watanabe brings heart to Saito, a man who is morally black nor white, and provides the audience a connection to him that’s much appreciated. Tom Hardy has a ton of slick swagger as the forger Eames, and Dileep Rao does much with limited screen time as the chemist, Yusuf. As much as it may seem like I’ve given away, I’ve really only scratched the surface. In a lot of ways, I have not told you much of anything. That is the really amazing thing about the ten years of work that Christopher Nolan put into bringing this story to the big screen. Inception has a very cerebral plot, big on emotion and deeply connected to the exploration of the subconscious — but it’s an action film, and a beautiful one. Wally Pfister’s cinematography is amazing and the digital effects work is seamless. Inception is not only a treat visually, but matched by the music from the first scene on. This movie is what The Wachowskis wish the rest of The Matrix films after the first could have been; a head trip with outrageous action sequences and a strong emotional attachment to the story. Nolan proves again, that he’s wholly capable of bringing his unique voice and vision to the screen in a way that few writer/directors can. Inception will be well worth your time and cash.