Inception
RELEASED: 16th July 2010
CERTIFICATE: 12A
DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan
RUNNING TIME: 149 Min
Rotating corridors, roads that roll up like carpets, buildings crumble similar to blue cheese, the mind of Christopher Nolan, writer and director of Inception, is unquestionably unique.
Nolan, previously known for work on Memento and The Dark Knight, has kept us in the dark leading up to the release of his motion picture. The director’s fascination with his own dreams, the processes of being able to adapt your images in your own mind, creating surroundings and the happenings, inspired the project.
Memento was certainly a head fuck, with the non-linear narrative resulted in our own much-needed interpretation of the film and forever questioning what was what. Inception is similar, perplexing our minds; ceaselessly wondering was that a dream? Was that reality? Where the hell is Leonardo DiCaprio? I advise a second viewing, in order to capture aspects that were not clear and to take another grasp and angle on the gripping action packed movie.
DiCaprio is Dom Cobb, a specialist in “subconscious security”, a dream thief, able to plunge his victims in a dream where he extracts their secrets. Within the dream the dreamer’s projections, such as the individuals walking within the space, are the sleepers subconscious. Dream thief’s need to ensure they are particular in their behaviour and not obvious, as this can lead to fatal outcome.
DiCaprio however, can die within the dream as many times as Mel Gibson can swear and still return to life as you cannot die, but this does not mean it won’t effect your mental stability. The ever-changing structure within the subjects mind leads to unpredictability, also an interesting viewing as were consistently surprised.
Cobb must go against the grain and do the almost impossible, plant an idea into a young heir of a dying father; this process is none other but inception. Careful planning with his sidekick Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and others such as student architect Ariadine (Ellen Page) ensures his preparation will be as in-depth as the process involved.
Cobb’s troubled past with his wife only creates problems for the team and most importantly himself, the dream thief ironically holding secrets regarding his own self and state of mind and stability.
Dreams within dreams, subconscious military projections that have been trained to kill, time-lapsing action, this film has you enthralled until the end where you’re still left gasping for more.
Inception will irrefutably have a squeal, which I am sure will match up to the standards and the outstanding results at the box office for Nolan. Superior to The Dark Knight, what does Nolan have up his sleeve next, hopefully the answer to the confusing, dream state ending he put us in to relieve us from our anguish.
