Have you ever had a dream that seems surreal yet completely natural at the same time? And then feel a fall as you wake up? Then you’ve experienced some of the inspiration of Christopher Nolan, director of Batman Begins and Dark Knight, in his latest blockbuster, “Inception”.
The film stars seasoned actor Leonardo DiCaprio as Dominic Cobb, a professional thief who uses government equipment to infiltrate people’s dreams to obtain important information. Opposite DiCaprio is Juno actress, Ellen Page, and there is a supporting role from famous English actor, Michael Caine.
Nolan’s Inception was ten years in the making,after he decided more experience was needed, and the big budget high complex feel he was aiming for certainly comes through in the film.
Naturally, with a film about dreams, the visuals are amazing, reflecting the “infinite nature of the human mind”, a joy to behold with altered gravity, supernatural weather and spectacular landscapes. The style and concept of “Inception” is almost as important as the plot-line, which is just as intricate and ingenious.
It is a heist film, which Caine will be used to, with a twist which gives Inception its uniqueness and the twist will keep you interested throughout, if you can keep up.
Cobb (DiCaprio) leads a crack team of ‘dream-stealers’ in an attempt to perform inception, which involves planting the idea itslef rather than taking the ideas in a person’s dream. However, Cobb’s incentive is not just the prize or a wage, it is the chance to be reunited with the family that he has had to leave behind because of his abilities. This adds to the tension of the already intense action film. The main sequence towards the end of the film will have you on the edge of your seat.
DiCaprio puts in another good performance, miserable and serious as ever, as he portrays the character of strong leader and desperate lover in opposition to each other. Ellen Page plays a graduate who is brought in to Cobb’s team with the help of his father (Caine).
Page plays her usual young, independent woman with ease but manages to be the perfect side-kick to Cobb. She sets him straight as she probes his problems, creating a force to be reckoned with.
DiCaprio and Page are just two of the actors in a cast with great performances including “28 Days Later” actor Cillian Murphy as the intended victim of the heist and French actress Marion Cotillard as Cobb’s wife and the main antagonist.
Inception has been compared and contrasted with some of Nolan’s other work, such as “Prestige” and “Memento”, and deserves to become a household name. Add to that the spectacular visuals, the ingenious concept, the immense soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer and the perfect balance of humour to the serious nature of the film, and you have a true classic. I think this film will continue to create discussion and speculation for many months, even years to come and is a must for any film fan.
Inception = 9/10
Inception was my concept, for which I have yet to be paid.