Inception

Inception
Posted on January 31, 2011 by abigail
Director: Christopher Nolan

Writer: Christopher Nolan

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tome Berenger, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe

Rating: 4 stars

The first word that comes to mind after watching Inception is “cerebral”. This is not only because the film concerns the mind and the subconscious, but also due to the fact that it requires concentrated viewing and gray matter exertion. This means that you cannot nod off or else miss the gist of it and likely to say “I don’t follow”. It’s not like a Chuck Norris film when you only have to watch the last 5 minutes of it but still can precisely summarize the plot.

It’s hard to offer a plot summary of this film, and my advice is you have to see it in order to grasp and appreciate its cinematic genius. But let me give you a gist of this highly acclaimed sci-fi flick.

DiCaprio’s character Dom Cobb and his gang are dream invaders, “entering” the mind of their target to influence their action in the real world. Cobb is hired by an influential businessman Mr. Saito (Watanabe) to target the son of his competitor. At first Cobb rejects the proposal but Saito makes him an offer he cannot resist – re-entry to the United States for a chance to be with his children. Cobb has escaped the country as a wanted man for the death of his wife.

In the dream state is where the “real” action takes place, where time and space is manipulated. To make the plot more convoluted and interesting, there are the customary twists and turns. There is the state called “limbo”, wherein the dream invaders can fall into eternal slumber. There are also the “projections” aka Sub Cons, which are manifestations of people or objects of the dreamer’s subconscious mind. Basically what these Sub Cons do is to fight off trespassers, so much like the human body’s antibodies as they attack invaders.

Inception gives the audience great visuals, gravity-defying stunts, and mind-boggling plot. Oh, and nice suits, too – Gordon-Levitt looks (surprisingly) yummy in tux! Expect also a not-so-straightforward ending, which means you draw your own conclusion. Will Cobb’s totem – a top – stop spinning or not? A “totem” is the characters’ keepsake to distinguish between reality and dream. If the top continues on spinning, it means Cobb is in limbo. Up until now, online film forums are still agog with discussion about its final scene. This type of ending is also seen in Christopher Nolan’s 2001 film Memento, which starred Australian Guy Pearce. Memento is highly recognized for its multi-layered plot and innovative narration.

The only downside I see with Inception is its looong running time, that if not for the unbelievable stunts some viewers would have fallen asleep to maybe join Cobb and his gang in the dream state. Nolan’s films normally clock more than two hours (most remarkably the Batman projects), and Inception is definitely not an exception.

If you like The Matrix, you would definitely give a thumbs-up to Inception. And if online surveys are to be relied on, this movie could be the Oscars’ Best Picture this year. But I think it will have a tough time taking home the statue come awards night. My bet for that category is between Winter’s Bone and The King’s Speech.