Flick Flak: Inception
Inception
Director: Chris Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy.
12A, 149mins
I have not heard a single review which has not lauded Inception, and this one will be no different. Apologies if my eulogising over this film gets boring, but I was blown away by Chris Nolan's latest film, and I will explain why: the acting is fantastic, the action and the effects are exhilarating, and the story is masterful and original.
I am starting to think that Chris Nolan is a directing genius. He has made several of my favourite films (Memento, The Prestige and The Dark Knight) and always his films are deliciously thought provoking and intelligent. Now, once again, he has made a film which is so grounded in a brilliant idea that for me, the concepts dwarf the incredible special effects.
The Gist
The plot of Inception is one of the best I have ever seen. While it is comparable to The Matrix, I would say that it is complementary to, rather than borrowing from, the earlier sci-fi groundbreaker. To put it simplistically, Inception is a 'heist' movie, except that rather than trying to steal something (in this case, an idea), DiCaprio's character Cobb is trying to plant an idea in the mind of corporation heir Robert Fischer Jr (the brilliant Cillian Murphy).
In the tradition of a heist movie, Cobb first has to gather a team, come up with a scheme, and then attempt it. That's putting it simply. In reality the scheme amounts to one of the most complex film ideas I have come across, but each time the audience found itself on the verge of becoming lost, the script clarified exactly what was happening with economy and style - no painful plot exposition, when a lesser writer would have settled for just that.
In this world of corporate espionage Cobb and his team are contracted to steal ideas from minds, whilst the targets are at their most vulnerable - in their sleep. Early on Cobb takes his new recruit Ariadne (Ellen Page) through the process: the Architect builds a dream world into which they bring the target, whose subconscious fills this world and so their secrets become available to the Extractor. However, like the immune system, the target's subconscious detects alien presences and seeks them out; thus the Architect has to ensure the dream world is a maze in which they can evade the agents of the target's subconscious. Add to this the fact that the Extractor and his team can also affect the world and it makes for a film in which anything can happen (Don't worry, Nolan explains it all far better than I). Refreshingly Inception really lives up to it's premise, with imagination running wild and boundaries being pushed.
The story works so well because it takes many truths and adapts them for a science fiction world, for instance the fact that they can get away with outlandish events because "nothing ever feels odd when you're in a dream - it's only when you wake up you realise something was wrong". At no point is the audience left nonplussed at something a little too ridiculous, even in a dream world. The greatest thing about the story though is just how original it is. At a time when franchises and sequels make all the money, it is so good to see a film so unlike anything I have seen before.
The Visuals
Undoubtedly the effects are special, and they are used very intelligently. Scenes designed to impress are jaw-dropping (anyone who has seen the trailer will have been stunned by the rolling cityscape) but always used to actually illustrate a point, not just for the sake of it. Credit to the film for combining such a high budget with some really beautiful cinematography. That said, when the film turns to action it does it expertly, as expected from the author of The Dark Knight. Shoot-outs are sharp and stylish, and a thrilling sequence towards the end is a clear homage to Bond films, but one fight stands above all the others: a struggle which takes place in a mind - and gravity - bending hotel corridor. Incredibly there was no CGI used to film these scenes, instead a corridor on a gimbal was moved around the actors. For once I look forward to seeing DVD extras on how that whole seen was done.
The acting in the film really elevates Inception, giving it the gravity that the concepts deserve. Leonardo DiCaprio is excellent once again, giving a performance reminiscent of and as good as that in Shutter Island. Again he switches between calm and slick, and distraught and vulnerable, and again he struggles with dark secrets from his past. Namely his wife, Mal, played brilliantly by Marion Cotillard, who has now convinced me that she is an excellent actress (after she irritated me in Public Enemies). She does a terrific job of exuding menace when on screen, and much more as the film progresses. Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt have both impressed me in previous films, and both are great in Inception, each adding a touch of humour as well as auditions to be James Bond. Ellen Page too, while still quite young, is proving to be a tremendous actress, with such a mature presence on screen. As an ensemble cast they are fantastic. Cillian Murphy also deserves praise, as he has played such varied characters convincingly in his career- romantic, cross dresser, crazed villain, and in Inception he reveals a very moving vulnerability under a cold exterior.
Conclusion
This is certainly a film which rewards repeated viewings. On a second viewing the early clues as to Cobb's past can be better appreciated, as well as the little things that you missed the first time. Personally I also noticed the excellent music the second time - the very first impression of the film upon the audience is Hans Zimmer's loud, intimidating score, and from then on this accompanies the film perfectly.
Inception is simply must-watch for everybody. It is a 12A, and there is no bad language, no nudity and the violence is effective without being graphic - more credit to Nolan for making an adult film that mature young viewers can enjoy. This film should go down as an absolute classic.
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1 Comment – Post a comment
snowhitelily
Commented 37 months ago - 26th April 2013 - 09:33am
i love leo