There is an early character development scene where Leonardo DiCaprio forcibly stresses to Ellen Page that she needs to make a well-crafted maze that takes two minutes to be created but can't be easily solved in one minute. A fitting touch of recognition from Christopher Nolan. In very obvious ways, INCEPTION, a dream film project he developed for nearly a decade, can't be deciphered in just two and a half hours. This is a mental exam of the viewer and, more importantly, of the boundaries of cinematic complexity.
The film tasks you to keep up with its jargon, lingo and technobabble but also presents pure realistic action to cease excessive stimulation. The scenarios are constantly evolving and volatile with personified antibodies and yet, individual pain and suffering is conveyed with requisite acting. The filmgoer would have to ask his or herself an important question: Do you need to have the last will and testament read to you after seeing this movie or do you relish the memories evoked from this entity like a toy pinwheel?
To enter reality again and end further romanticization, INCEPTION is a very excellent film, nearly a masterpiece, but its tough puzzle-like structure and ideas will cause some derision. The viewing public may all be able to enter and find the cheese easily, but only some can leave the labyrinth vibrant with excitement. The rest of the pack will either feel very bloated and belittled by the experience.
Mr. DiCaprio plays as Cobb, a highly intelligent and daring man who operates a special kind of black ops for corporation intelligence. He is an "extractor", someone who can enter into the dreams of the white-collar elite and steal the deep secrets they hide. A former victim turned client (Ken Watanabe) wants him to do the bold task of entering a fellow rival (Cillian Murphy) and "intercept" his future business endeavors. Cobb is backed-up with a suave, not motley, crew tasked with other duties to maintain the dream trips. His right-hand man Arthur, well played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is the overall leader of the group and of the mission. The Architect (Ellen Page) crafts the dream's worldly order without endangering the others or causing the dreamer to be self-aware. The Forger, a scene-stealing Tom Hardy, models after and replaces important people in the dreamer's mind. The final participant, and most important, is the Chemist (Dileep Rao), who has to create the adequate dosing needed to maintain the fantastic voyage. He is also stressed to make such a strong dosage that the crew can create dreams within dreams to preserve the balancing act of dream and "dream reality."
That final statement is the main concept and also the main problem. You often need to focus on the constant cross-cuts between the separate levels of the dream reality. Switching over to each level often is a hard task to keep up with and causes some disillusionment to some. But when you have a zero-gravity hallway fight and a perfect representation of the haunted memories we keep, it sure is easy to be distracted and be entertained and enriched. Nolan and his crew made sure to achieve a great visualization of dream logic and action choreography.
I could go on but the film needs your own personal experience to figure out and decipher the mental puzzles. There is so many things I am skipping over for trival, such as the in-joke use of the "Million Dollar Dream" wrestling maneuver, and spoiler-ridden purposes, such as the elements of Marion Cotillard's character and the much discussed ending. INCEPTION is certainly the most original Hollywood film this year to play the field for the public and create a helpful on-going discussion of the power of cinema. Whether you see it as pretentious or a masterpiece, you can at least feel happy that you experienced a challenge to your psyche and your mental capabilities.
FINAL REVIEW: 4 / 5
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