Movie Review: Inception

Inception – A Warner Bros. Release

http://inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com/

http://www.inceptionscore.com/

Release Date: July 16th, 2010

Rated PG – violence, language may offend.

Running time: 148 minutes

Christopher Nolan (dir.)

Christopher Nolan (screenwriter)

Hans Zimmer (music)

Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb

Ken Watanabe as Saito

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Arthur

Marion Cotillard as Mal

Ellen Page as Ariadne

Tom Hardy as Eames

Cillian Murphy as Robert Fisher, Jr.

Tom Berenger as Browning

Michael Caine as Miles

Dileep Rao as Yusef

INC-03317 (L-r) JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT as Arthur and LEONARDO DiCAPRIO as Cobb in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ sci-fi action film “INCEPTION,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Photo by Stephen Vaughan

Our reviews below:

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Inception Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

Inception is one of the most anticipated and talked about movies of the year, and let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint. The story of Inception, which I suppose could be described in a series of Beatles references, is one of confusing but ingenious complexity. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a master extractor for a mysterious company. An extractor’s job is to break into your mind while sleeping, and steal the ideas from your dream-state subconscious. Cobb’s latest job, under the instruction of shady businessman Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe), is to perform an “inception.” Not the theft of an idea, but the planting of one. The plan is put into motion with the help of his assistant, Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

An idea must be planted so deep into the dreamers mind, that it can be almost dangerous to go down that many levels of subconscious. A maze has to be created so that the dreamer will never find out the origin. If the dream contains a safe or prison, the thinker will automatically fill these safe areas with their inner most secrets. Cobb enlists the help of a young architect, Ariadne (Ellen Page), to help him design the dream-like infrastructure.

In one of the most fascinating story elements, the extractor or dreamer can be awoken from a deep sedation through the use of a “kick.” As the sedatives do not throw off the inner ear, a kick can consist of music or a sharp movement. A kick is described as that feeling of falling that we’ve all experienced when snapped out of a deep sleep.

The climax of the film is a stand-out sequence that takes place on 4 different levels of the dreaming mind. Amidst all the edge-of-your seat tension, the most stunning scenes prove to be of a zero-gravity hotel room as it tumbles on its side, and of a van going towards the water in suspended animation. But one of the most fascinating effects come closer to the beginning, when Ariadne enters Cobb’s mind and literally turns his imagined city upside down.

Although Joseph Gordon-Levitt does get to do some of the most interesting stuff, including a fascinating zero-gravity fist fight, the performances are all excellent and I can’t say there’s one that really stands out above the others. The script is brilliant, tying together a confusing and thought-provoking film that all starts with an idea. The final shot left the entire audience on the edge of their seats, waiting in brilliant suspense for that final fade to black. It’s sure to cause much debate amongst moviegoers as they file into the aisles.

Like Nolan’s other work, Inception proves to be intrinsically disturbing and unsettling. And like his other films, it keeps you glued to the screen for the entire (in this case 148-minute) running time. It’s impossible to get it out of your mind, and will keep you fascinated for days with ideas, theories and conversations. In the process of entertaining audiences with action and intellect, Nolan has managed to seamlessly perform an inception.

There will be detractors of this film and for once I can’t necesarily blame them. You could easily get lost in the plotting, or just be completely overwhelmed by it all. But if you give it a chance, all it asks is your patience and concentration.

I’m not sure I caught all the plot-points and symbolism, so a couple more viewings should only enhance my experience. But as I currently stand, Inception is a mind-blowing masterpiece that not only questions the very nature of dreams, but the very fabric of the human mind. For the stunning cinematography and set-design alone, this film deserves all the awards recognition it will get. And for telling a fascinating story that knows the intelligence of its audience, it deserves the highest praise.

Inception not only ranks with Despicable Me and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as one of the most flat-out entertaining film’s of the summer, but also with How To Train Your Dragon and Toy Story 3 as one of the stellar triumphs of this hit-and-miss year. Inception is truly exceptional.

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Inception Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

In Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, a master of extraction (the art of stealing ideas through the subconscious of a dreamer). This life has cost him so much already making him a fugitive. When he is offered a job from the powerful Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe), who could give him a redemption of sorts, he can’t bring himself to refuse. But this job will require something many consider to be impossible. Instead of theft (extraction) he and his team must try the reverse – to plant an idea (inception).

I don’t want to go too much past a basic synopsis, since everything connects and must be found out as you go along. The fascinating thing about the movie Inception was that no matter how strange it was, the relatable concept of a dream is universal. And if you watch it this way, you will accept going along for the ride. One thing I will warn though, is if you walk out to refill popcorn or anything, when you come back I guarantee you’ll find yourself lost with the locations changing so fast at times. You want to have time to watch and concentrate on this one. Now, that being said, I actually was surprised by how linear the storytelling of Inception was – as things are explained to the characters, we are informed as well. Paying attention, following and understanding it didn’t prove a problem for me.

Honestly, there were times when it was just stunning to watch. There is a zero gravity fight scene with a rotating hotel room in slightly slowed motion, mountain scenes, chases through city streets, and entire cities folding around themselves into cubes. The art direction, cinematography, set design, and editing are all superb here (especially during a ‘4-level’ dreams-within-dreams sequence, the editing kept things clear). This will be one to watch, I’m sure, at awards time – if not for Best Picture, certainly in the technical categories.

But beyond the special effects, the acting was all top-notch and the story has both a suspense action-heist feel as well as a real emotional core. This is not an action movie for mindless fun – this is an action movie for the individual who wants to both think and be entertained for 2 1/2 hours. (A note about the running time: it doesn’t feel that long and I actually was surprised how it ended almost before you expect it, like a dream often does.) The music by Hans Zimmer with it’s interesting combination of electronics, guitar, and voice, as well as a full orchestra is right on track as well.

What really captivated me about this film though, was the real concept of how easy it is for us to subconsciously blur the lines between dreams and reality, and how dangerous this can be. Watching the film, at times I was reminded of parts of Batman Begins, Avatar, and interestingly enough, A Beautiful Mind. I would definitely recommend seeing this one on the big screen, and if you can, more than once – it gives you so much to think about. Right down to the brilliant last image, I loved this movie – one of the best of the year so far.

You can read my thoughts on Hans Zimmer’s score here.

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Inception Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

What is reality? This is question raised in the film Inception. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), Inception shows what could happen in a world where our most personal thing, the dreams we create in our sleep, could be manipulated and stolen.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), is an “extractor,” a person who uses a machine to tap into a sleeping person’s subconscious, and steal their ideas. This creepy procedure, formally used for military training, is being used for corporate espionage. In order for the extraction to be effective, one must be careful that one doesn’t either get too many real memories mixed in, or realize they are dreaming. To prevent this from happening, special architects called “dreamers” are hired to create cities in people’s minds. Cobb hires Ariadne (Canada’s Ellen Page), to create buildings that will be relevant to the sleeping corporate marks. But if dreams can be extracted, could a dream be planted? A shady business man named Mr. Saito hires the dream thieves to perform an idea plant, called an “inception,”on a man named Robert Fischer Jr. (Cillian Murphy), whose father’s inheritance is about to be given to him. The goal of the extractor is to turn Robert against his dad, in a dream where he is dreaming he is having a dream. Never been tried before, this procedure is risky. Cobb’s subconscious is unusually perilous, from a memory that, as we can see throughout the film, involves his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), and their two kids.

The film is far too complicated to describe here, and I don’t want to spoil the film. Inception would be best understood on subsequent viewings, or with someone who can explain the film to you. The storyline is both fascination and disturbing, staying with you long after the movie ends.

The acting is amazing, making this bizarre sci-fi tale oddly believable. The special effects during the dream sequences are astonishing. Some of the most breathtaking moments are in an imaginary cityscape reminiscent of Escher, and a four tier dream involving such fancies as a zero gravity hotel. Hans Zimmer’s exciting score adds to the suspenseful mood of the film.

Inception is a thought-provoking thriller, that leaves the viewer wondering what is real or imaginary. The film held me to the edge of my seat the whole time. Inception really captures the feeling of dreaming, and the foggy hypnogogic state between asleep and awake. If you like films that stimulate the mind, then go see Inception.

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Inception Review By Maureen

**** (out of 4)

The subject of dreams, their nature, their meaning has always fascinated people. What if someone could enter another person’s dreams, steal their ideas or plant new ones? Writer/director Christopher Nolan’s action/thriller Inception is about just that.

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) works for a company that has a technique allowing an extractor to enter another person’s dream and steal their ideas, perform an extraction. The goal is usually corporate espionage. This time a client, Mr. Saito (Ken Watanabe) wants Cobb to go a step further and perform an inception, plant an idea in a business rival’s mind. The target of the inception is Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cillian Murphy) the son of a dying business magnate. Mr. Saito wants Fischer to dissolve the corporation to eliminate the competition.

This particular inception is complex, involving dreams within dreams and various levels of subconscious. To complete the inception successfully Cobb needs a strong team of associates. With the help of his father (Michael Caine) he hires a brilliant and creative young architect, Ariadne (Ellen Page). Attention to detail is crucial when creating a believable world inside another person’s dream. Also on the team is Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the problem-solver, forger and disguise man Eames (Tom Hardy), and the chemist, Yusef (Dileep Rao). The team works brilliantly together under Cobb’s direction. The problem is, Cobb’s has a tragedy in his past that keeps entering his subconscious. The other people who appear in a person’s dreams are called projections. Cobb’s main projection from his subconscious is a beautiful woman named Mal (Marion Cotiallard). Everytime Mal enters a dream, instability in the dream world follows.

Inception is a complex story with many layers and levels just as there would be in a dream. There are so many details and so much action going on that full attention is required. Fortunately Inception is so well written, and so visually interesting that it keeps the viewer glued to the screen for the entire 148 minutes.

Some of the visual special effects in Inception are stunning. In particular the architectural dream world that Ariadne creates involving mirrored walls and rotating streets and skylines is brilliant. Also interesting is the zero-gravity hotel sequence later in the movie.

As the movie progresses the suspense and intrigue as to what is real and what isn’t grows. At what point does a dream become it’s own reality? Inception is one of those movies that will generate a lot of interesting conversations and benefits from more than one viewing.

With an excellent cast, a perfect Hans Zimmer score, stunning visuals and an intriguing storyline this will likely earn some nominations come awards time. The closing shot alone is worth an award. If you like intelligent action and intrigue then Inception is a must-see movie.

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Inception Review By Tony

**** (out of 4)

The fictional definition of Inception is the planting of an idea into a person’s subconscious mind during a shared dream. Developed for military training, dream sharing was typically used for the extraction or stealing of ideas, for which Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team were well paid by crooked business interests. Under sedation, the lucid dreaming (i.e. aware of dreaming) extractor hooked up to the “mark” would provide the mark an opportunity to give up his secret. The dream scenes designed by an “architect” would include Escher anomalies, such as the never-ending staircase, that the extractor could use for escape if necessary. Dreamers would be aroused by a “kick” such as falling over (since the vestibular system (sense of balance) was unaffected by sedation), or, as in nightmares, if they were about to die within their dreams. Since any dreamer could provide “projections” of characters or objects, the extractor had to keep things under his control, particularly if the mark had undergone training to resist extraction by projecting security personnel into the dream to fight off intruders. The most skillful extractors/inceptors could provide dreams within dreams, down to two or more levels below consciousness, though with increased risk. Apparent time within a dream being slowed down, one real minute was equivalent to about twenty dream minutes, with time scales increasing exponentially (i.e. by powers of 20) at each successive level.

One last job would allow Cobb to return home to clear his name for a crime he didn’t commit and see his children again. With an offer Cobb couldn’t refuse, the tycoon Saito (Ken Watanabe) hired Cobb’s team to get Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) to break up his dying father’s (Pete Postlethwaite) company standing in the way of Saito’s world domination. To the team’s “point man” Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was added a new architect Ariadne (Ellen Page) recommended by Cobb’s father (Michael Caine), the “forger” Eames (Tom Hardy) and the “chemist” Yusuf (Dileep Rao). One complication would be Cobb’s projections of his wife Mal (Marion Cotillard) trying to sabotage the operation, for reasons that become clear during the course of the film.

Such a complicated premise requires both careful handling by the filmmaker, and a viewer able to sit through 148 minutes fully alert, without a break. Director Christopher Nolan did his job brilliantly, so any criticism about confusion should first be directed at the critics who don’t get it. Admittedly, it was stressful at times trying to follow several dream levels at once, but skillful editing between them kept everything relatively clear. Of course there were details missed along the way, but for me that is the mark of a rich film that will reward repeated viewings with new surprises, and leads to a lot of interesting discussion, as this one already has. Being limited only by a dreamer’s imagination allowed for amazing special effects, such as a Paris street folding up onto itself with blocks of flats stacked roof to roof. The best example for me was the [dreamed] van flipping over and then in free fall, putting dreams at the level below in a frame of reference that was itself rotating upside down and then weightless. Aside from the plot, everything about Inception is first-rate, including the cast and Hans Zimmer score. At the end of it all is a final shot that is brilliant–City Lights brilliant.

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Consensus: Inception is a mind-blowing masterpiece, that demands your attention and will leave you talking. One of the most entertaining movies of the summer, and one of the best of the year so far. **** (Out of 4)