It’s frightening how much Inception asks from its audience. In a blockbuster summer of paint-by-numbers Christopher Nolan has crafted a superb heist tale, elevated to the nth degree due to its wildly absorbing concept.
There is not a wasted second in this cerebral action spectacle. Every scene, shot and piece of dialogue demands your attention and you will want to give every last ounce. Like any masterpiece, Inception lavishly compensates for your devoted time and diligence.
Brilliantly structured, the opening scene teases as we are pulled into this world of wonder. As the elaborate rules get explained to us, there is not a single moment our concentration wanes. Nolan never diverts and we never lose focus. This holds true for the mind-bending, multi-layered heist to follow.
As our mind realizes the elements and mechanics of the heist, this is when the unabashed sense of awe kicks in at full force. Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Ariadne (Ellen Page) do an eminent job of setting up the dream world rules. But it is not until Nolan, cinematographer Wally Pfister, and editor Lee Smith impeccably execute the multi-level visual and mental explosion, that Inception is truly unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
Through Nolan and Pfister’s organic approach, there is very little to remind us we are watching a film. The cinematography, while stunning, is quite grounded in reality. There are no highly-stylized, excessively cinematic distractions. The sets, costumes, and overall production design has a very pragmatic feel. Detractors that want absurd dream sequences are not only missing the point of the dreams, but also that any tension or connection to those sequences would be thrown out the window if it was one psychedelic drug trip.
Instead, Nolan crafts an obsessively precise world populated to great strengths by the stellar cast. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the tortured soul to perfection, a complement to his equally principal Shutter Island role earlier this year. The main highlight is the comedic banter between Eames (Tom Hardy) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Dileep Rao, our friendly neighborhood chemist, plays Yusuf and has a whole lot more to do than in Avatar. Marion Cotillard is stunning and I couldn’t think of a better actress to portray what Mal represents. Other than Leo, Cillian Murphy has the most rewarding character arc and does just as good on the emotional side. While I don’t see any Oscars in store for the cast, there isn’t a single weak note throughout the entire film.
For all its seemingly complex concepts and structurally challenging narrative, at its heart, Inception is a pretty lucid experience. There is no highbrow psychological mysteries to be unraveled for decades to come nor any pondering ethereal contemplations. It’s an all-out enthralling action extravaganza centered on an emotional struggle, all while balancing high-level, but comprehensible dream logic. It does what it does perfectly and for a thoroughly captivating, completely enveloping experience Christopher Nolan has delivered beyond my wildest dreams.