After what must be a year’s worth of hype, rave reviews, discussion, controversy, comparisons, and a mixed array of recommendations (thanks to everybody for all of them
), I’ve finally developed this idea in my head that I would enjoy this next film tremendously. So much so that I don’t think there was any way it could ever disappoint. The choice has been made, now I have to understand why (oh wait, that line’s from some other movie…
).
Next greatest blind-buy: “
Inception.”
As it is with a lot of films I rank highly, “Inception” is a movie that effectively merges high entertainment value with good storytelling in the confines of a quality film production. Some of the best films manage all three elements while maintaining some level of emotional or intellectual impact. With so much talent pooled into this film (Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ellen Page, all under the supervision of the one and only Christopher Nolan, a man I’m starting to regard as Hitchcock of the 21st century) and hype, I had a feeling that “Inception” might just breach the upper echelon of cherished and beloved personal favorites. Could “Inception” outclass Nolan’s own successes, like “The Dark Knight” or “Memento?” Could it entertain any more than a century’s worth of thrilling action movies, imaginative sci-fi, or invoking psychological thrillers? Could it even penetrate my personal top 10 list that has grown so solid and firmly rooted in my consciousness?!
“Inception” definitely has the entertainment value. The action scenes are short, but sporadic and intense, and practically run through the entire course of the movie. Combined with fantastic special effects (many of which are incredibly imaginative on an MC Escher level) and a whole lot of brilliant photography, the film practically makes an art out of the action, especially since most of the action is always a consequence of the story and there’s hardly anything frivolous about any of it. I almost wish there could be more of the incredible SFX and gunfighting, but what we get is a good amount as it is.
Thankfully, most of the focus remains on the story, which is very heavily structured and thick. The use of flashbacks establishes a unique framework for a story that continuously frames itself; like the mirrored shots the film itself uses, where characters see repetitions of themselves over and over again, so too does the film layer itself. Not only with physical (or rather, subconscious) layers of reality, but also with conflicts (physical and internal). At the core, the story ultimately revolves around the main character and unlocking his secrets. This is maybe not as insightful or deep of a character study as “The Dark Knight” was with the Joker, but it is fairly insightful in its own way. Minor characters receive adequate treatment, but never so much
[Show spoiler]that one doesn’t wonder whether or not the entire movie is “real” in the first place, as the final shot may indicate…
I must also give the story a huge amount of credit for effectively constructing its own universe in which to operate. It has its own archetypes of characters (there’s an architect, there’s a chemist, there’s a shade, etc). It has its own devices, gizmos, etc. It has its own rules and boundaries. At the same time, it has a style and class all on its own (and combined with all the corporate stuff, it kinda felt like a PKD story, which is awesome).
The film is superbly crafted, with a huge abundance of pleasing visuals and quality cameramanship. Editing style and techniques are as effective as Nolan’s previous work, and works well in the story’s favor. The acting seems quite good. Production value is very high, featuring a plethora of fantastic set-pieces and locations, populated with quality props, costumes, vehicles, weapons, and the works. Music is interesting (may have to get the soundtrack).
But what does it all mean? On the surface, “Inception” provides a lot of intriguing ideas and a few interesting (albeit not wholly unexpected) twists to the story and characters. But one thing stuck out at me;
[Show spoiler] as Mal kept insisting that our world is not real, I was reminded of some brief research I had done on other cultures, religions, etc. A lot of this went way over my head, but there are some beliefs that our reality is indeed not real. Or else it is a manifested creation from God, emanating throughout different layers of reality. The movie practically shows this as Cobb and Mal created their own worlds once; perhaps the journey into the deeper dreamscapes is a journey through the different levels of Godly creation. And the fact that Cobb is searching for a way “home” could further support the idea that this is some kind of metaphysical trip; perhaps even a figurative ascension into heaven. For that matter, could he be dead this whole time? Could he still be dreaming? Is it somebody else’s dream? Am I just making all this up in some desperate hope to extrapolate deeper meaning in a film that doesn’t really have any? I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO THINK! 
As such, I see little reason to give this film a low score. It has satisfied me on all levels. It is most certainly eligible to become a part of my top 100 list. As for the top 10…time will tell…
4.5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4.5/5, intellectual impact: 4.5/5)
The Blu-Ray for this looks and sounds darn near perfect!
PQ: 5/5, AQ: 5/5
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I think another "Matrix" marathon is in order... 
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