Apparently Christopher Nolan didn’t get the memo. Summer movie season is for films that require no thought whatsoever. “Inception,” however, may require more time to think about than its running time.
Don’t be mistaken, “Inception” still holds its share of action movie conventions. There are car chases, explosions, shoot-outs and the mandatory fist-fight over a gun that nobody can get a grip on.
But it also questions how a person percieves reality, and whether or not a dream is preferable to reality. This may draw comparisons to “The Matrix,” but “Inception” handles it much more subtly and leaves a lasting emotional impression. “Inception” could be compared to an existential novel, whereas “The Matrix” is closer to comic book style (not to cheapen comics). The film is captivating from start to finish, generating suspense and curiosity at every turn.
The most impressive aspect of “Inception” is the depth and consistency of the rules of the universe Nolan creates. The film takes place primarily in dreams, which operate with different rules than the real world. Within these dreams, more dreams can be entered, changing the flow of time and creating another layer of action happening simultaneously but faster. These complex layers are all managed expertly, providing one of the most intense action sequences in recent years. At the same time, the music is continually ramping up and there are no breaks in action or story development, making a sequence that might have lasted a half hour or more seem much shorter.
The actors all perform well in advancing the story, seeming more as extensions of the plot than actors. The only problem is that some are stiff for almost the entire film, but it still seems natural and believable. Playing Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio’s interactions with Ellen Page (as Ariadne) and Marion Cotillard (as Mal) are the best interactions in the film, as they make a bizarre background believable.
If there is anything to complain about in “Inception,” it may be that Nolan’s vision of dreams is too rigid. While fantastic things can occur, they’re all in an ordered urban environment. The only natural imagery in the film is a snow covered mountain, so almost all scenes seem washed in gray or white. Nolan had the freedom and budget to interpret anything that can exist in a dream, but he restricted himself to moving city scapes and gravity tricks. Still, perhaps this just echoes Nolan’s own imagination.
“Inception” is a science fiction movie that plays with the rules of reality, but more importantly weaves a complex story that doesn’t have any obvious plot holes, if any. Just saying this is the best movie of the year isn’t saying much, because it has been a weak year for movies. This may be the best big summer movie of the past five years. The word of mouth is right about this movie, see it now.