Inception

Audacious, incredibly intelligent and scrupulously executed, INCEPTION is very easily one of the most engrossing films of 2010, and it joins TOY STORY 3 as part of the dynamic cinematic duo that saved this summer from the dross of boring remakes/sequels that got sent our way. The story is every bit as multi-layered as the dreams it depicts, and contrary to what some people have said, it's not difficult to follow in the least bit. Everything is made reasonably clear (as long as you pay attention, obviously). INCEPTION is an incredibly deep and sophisticated film, combining action sequences with emotional subtext in the best possible way.

I'd like to point out that I think some people who have reviewed INCEPTION have done a great disservice to readers by including a synopsis of the film. Normally, a synopsis is a requirement in reviews (and don't get me wrong, I love writing my take on "what a movie is all about"), but this is absolutely, positively a case in which a person is better off knowing NOTHING about the film before they go into it. Well... they should certainly go into the film with the warning that they'll need to pay attention... but that's it. Therefore, I won't be including a synopsis here, but I guess some details will inevitably come up, so that's the heads-up for those who haven't yet seen it.

Though INCEPTION has many ideas, there's one in particular that really stuck with me, because it feels like a commentary on the way a moviegoer approaches the experience of actually sitting down to watch a film. While discussing how to "manipulate" dreams, our characters explain that it's best for a lot of "negative" stuff to happen FIRST, so that then the ultimate outcome will not only be "positive," but it'll have a stronger impact than it would if there hadn't been so much adversity at first. It's catharsis, as they put it. We get more satisfaction from something if we had to work hard, if we had to struggle to make it happen. And it happens when we watch movies: have you ever seen a movie in which there aren't any conflicts whatsoever? Of course not, because it would probably be boring. You need to have something be at stake so that you can feel satisfaction at the end. In fact, one could argue that a movie is like a dream because you're transported to another reality, and you get to see it. To use INCEPTION's lingo, you get to watch other "subjects" doing things.

I understand that people can have varied opinions on movies, but the opinion that I completely reject is that of those who think INCEPTION is too complicated. It isn't. I've seen movies that are too complicated, and they're generally not good, or nearly as well-crafted as this. To guide us in the wonderful labyrinth that is the film, there is one particular character, Ariadne (Ellen Page) who essentially serves as our eyes throughout the film. She is the one who is exposed to this new world of "dream manipulation" without knowing anything about it. She's also the one who is curious enough to dig into the demons of our main character, Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), and who ultimately discovers his secrets and understands the emotional battle he's facing. To make it even more obvious that she's essentially our guide in INCEPTION, when the ultimate "awakening" occurs during the film's last act, it's her eyes that we watch open repeatedly, as each dream and each dream within a dream comes to an end.

The storyline of INCEPTION has two main threads. One of them consists of the mission that Cobb and his team go on to carry out an "inception" (which refers to the planting of an idea in someone's head by getting in that person's dreams). That part of the storyline teems with entertaining action sequences and even some moments of humor. The other, obviously more interesting thread of the film has to do with Cobb's demons in light of the death of his wife, Mal (Marion Cotillard) and his desire to be able to go back to the U.S. to see his children. This is clearly a matter of personal preference, but I definitely preferred this aspect of the film. I was surprised when I started to see early reviews of INCEPTION in which some said that director Christopher Nolan had reached the heights of Kubrick with this film, but I started to understand the comparison during the scene in which Ariadne decides to go to the "basement" that Cobb seems to be apprehensive about. What we get soon after that is a scene in a hotel suite in which we get to witness fantastic dialogue mixed with a feeling of sneaking eeriness, as we begin to understand more about Cobb and Mal's relationship. This scene, in which Ariadne (once again) gets to be an observer is truly something incredible... but the scene gets one-upped later in the film in another instance in which Cobb, Mal and Ariadne are all in the same place once again. There's an almost creepy feeling that Mal is addressing not just Cobb, but the entire audience, when she poses the following question: "Are you really sure that the world you live in is real?" It's not unwarranted for an audience member to ask him/herself this question during this scene. The experience of watching INCEPTION is just that thoroughly involving.

Now, I'd like to go back to the Kubrick comparisons just for a second. After I watched INCEPTION and realized it was worthy of a 7/10, I started wondering why it was that it seems I can't bring myself to use the word "great" in reference to a Christopher Nolan movie. MEMENTO and THE DARK KNIGHT are largely regarded as masterworks of his as well, yet I also gave a 7/10 to those two. Before you start getting outraged, I'd just like to clear up something about my rating system (even though it's something I've said in the past). I think that a 7/10 is what most people give to a movie that they consider to be "merely good". That's not the case for me. I give a 6/10 to a movie that I think is just good, a 7/10 to one I think is VERY good, and then anything 8 or above is already in the realm of greatness. An 8 goes to something that is extremely good, even if I might have a nitpick or two. 9s and 10s both go to movies that ARE great - the difference is that a 10/10 goes to a movie that is one of the best I have EVER seen in MY LIFE. Anything that gets an 8/10 or above is basically guaranteed a spot in my year-end top 10 list, while anything that gets a 7 has at least a good shot at an honorary mention. Therefore, the fact that I gave a 7 to INCEPTION and you maybe gave it a 9 doesn't necessarily mean you liked it more than me. I'm just a little bit more conservative in terms of how I assign my ratings. Most people give lots of 8s and 9s, while I give a lot of 5s and 6s. It's just how I do it. INCEPTION is a very good film. Why isn't it great, or more to the point, why isn't it Kubrick caliber? First off, the action sequences aren't anything special. They're relatively generic, and I can't imagine they'll do too much for the adrenaline. But more importantly, I think what has kept me from considering the likes of MEMENTO, THE DARK KNIGHT and now INCEPTION as GREAT movies is the fact that there's a bit of over-ambition going on in them. Nolan aims really high, and you might wonder "Well, what's wrong with that? Kubrick did, too." And it's true, but the difference is all about the pace. A lot of people may not notice it, but pacing is crucial to a film's success. Kubrick was a master at it, in literally every film he did. Nolan's approach can be a little bit too frenetic for me. There's an occasional feeling of clunkiness when there's an attempt to throw a bunch of deep ideas at you one after the other. It's not that it's too complex for me; it's that it's a lot to take at once, and it's important to let a filmgoer breathe as he/she takes all of it in (the only currently living director who I think has a great, Kubrickian handle on pacing is Quentin Tarantino).

A lot of people will consider what I just said to be pointless drivel, and that's fine, and as a way to appease the Nolan-philes who will certainly be outraged by what I just said I'd just like to end by reiterating what I already said when I started this review: INCEPTION is one of the most well-crafted films of 2010. Its insight into the human mind is uncanny. This is further proof that, contrary to what Hollywood believes, we really DON'T need all these pointless movie reboots/remakes, all of which are being made because of the philosophy of "Well, hey, if it's a title that people RECOGNIZE from a past movie or TV show, they'll go see it." INCEPTION is a sign that original ideas can work absolutely wonderfully. It's just a matter of (as Nolan's characters would say) taking a leap of faith. Now if only we could plant THAT idea inside studio heads' minds.

7/10