Inception

While the movie going public waits for the sequel to The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan decided that it was the right time to release Inception, which he directed, produced and wrote. The film is a concept where individuals can penetrate the minds of others during dreams to find out personal information, or in rare cases plant information. I try to see a lot of movies and Inception is one of only a few original concepts I can think of that was released this year. It’s no secret that studios are focusing on established franchises in order to make a sure buck so, the mid-July release date for Nolan’s Inception is a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one.

The film’s cast is the strongest I’ve seen in a few years with Leonardo DiCaprio receiving top billing followed by the likes of Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard and others. When Michael Caine is in a movie and doesn’t get mentioned in the first handful of names you know how many great actors are there. Plus, it says something when a large ensemble goes through a two and a half hour movie without missteps. There are no cheesy lines, or scenes that should have been re-shot, just strong performances all around. Nolan’s attention to detail is what makes his big budget films successful when so many others fail either critically or monetarily.

While the plot is not the easiest to follow, the conflicts are resolved in a clear enough way that I wouldn’t deem the film confusing. I imagine it’s not for everyone though. Thinking tends to be an optional aspect of film lately, but Inception basically says keep up or get out of the theater because we’ll go on without you. I look forward to seeing the film again now that I know the conclusion, because the layers of complexity makes Inception original enough to be viewed frequently like other classic motion pictures.

Nolan’s films have developed such a specific look and feel to them that outside influences get lost behind the scale and tone that is reminiscent of The Dark Knight, The Prestige and his other projects. There is no doubt that this film will be emulated for years to come and all the young filmmakers and writers that were impressed with his Batman films have now found their icon. In my humble opinion, Inception is the best film of the decade. (10 out of 10)