Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Leonardo diCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, Dileep Rao, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Marion Cotillard, and Michael Caine.
Backstory
One of the most anticipated films of the summer of 2010, mainly because it’s the only one that’s original. Well, that’s a little harsh. It’s also from Christopher Nolan, who’s critically acclaimed for Memento and the newer Batman films. Plus, the trailers have amazed people with it’s spectacular visuals. And, pretty much the whole plot was kept under wraps. So what is this film about anyway?
Plot
The man known only as Cobb is a career criminal who specializes in very sophisticated form of crime: extraction, where he enters your dreams and steals your secrets. One day, Cobb is contacted by a billionaire industrialist wanting to know if Cobb can do the opposite: inception, where he plants a though to influence someone’s actions. What the industrialist offers is too big to ignore, so Cobb begins assembling his team to carry out the inception. And once we enter the dreamworld…that’s when things get tough to describe. Let’s just say that if a man like Cobb is battling inner demons, the last thing he should do is enter a dreamworld where those demons become reality.
What I Liked
Well, the trailers were the tip of iceberg. There are some spectacular visuals in this film. Of course, the plot is somewhat complex, with an ending that you’ll be left debating with your friends for some time. The acting is all really good…I was pleasantly surprised by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Who know that dorky little Tommy from 3rd Rock from the Sun was destined for greater things? Ellen Page is really good, too, as the rookie on the team.
What I Didn’t Like
I was saddened by the familiarity of it all. The whole “dreams vs. reality” gimmick against the back drop of an action film reminded me of Total Recall…the questioning of reality and reality-bending fight sequences reminded me of The Matrix. I was reminded of a lot of other things.
Final Assessment
A very imaginative and exciting film. You definitely have to pay attention to what’s going on.