Director Christopher Nolan’s newest movie “Inception” unfolds like a dream – it’s deeply complicated and hard to describe but once one is submerged in it, the film takes on its own life. “Inception” follows fugitive Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a man with the ability to break into others’ dreams and steal their secrets, as he desperately tries to find his way home. Wealthy businessman Saito (Ken Wantanabe) offers Cobb a deal: if Cobb can plant an idea in someone’s mind then Saito can pull strings to allow Cobb to return to America. Cobb accepts and begins assembling a team (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy and Dileep Rao) to help him complete the mission.
The film is layered with the rules that govern Nolan’s dreamworld and hinges on the emotional complexity of the characters. Despite the movie introducing its own organic world and carrying backstories for several protagonists, “Inception” never becomes boring or overstuffed with information. Each new turn through the plot’s labyrinth simply pushes the storyline forward and draws the viewer deeper into the dreamworld.
DiCaprio manages to convey a range of emotions throughout the course of the film without losing Cobb’s charismatic persona. The relationships Cobb becomes entangled in are at the heart of the story and cause the film to become more than a surreal heist.
Cillian Murphy plays the man DiCaprio is hired to target and gives a surprisingly sympathetic performance as his character becomes developed. The strength of “Inception” is its ability to make the viewer empathize with all of the main players in the film, not just the lead.
While the almost three hour runtime seems daunting, the pace keeps the audience engaged. As time passes, the movie becomes more ambitious to the point where it seems as if the plot will collapse on itself. However, the script rises to the task and makes the impossible possible without resorting to cheap cop outs.
“Inception” explains itself but does not spoon feed the viewer. Like any good dream, once the film ends, it leaves those who experienced it grasping to remembering the intricate details and wanting more.
4 out of 4 stars