Inception Movie Review

Not many movies that are highly anticipated are able to live upto the hype they create. “The Dark Knight” was one movie that managed to deliver more than expected. And now, Christopher Nolan does it once again with the much awaited “Inception”.

Anyone who has followed Christopher Nolan’s work would find it impossible not to be taken by his creativity and artistic vision. I am no exception. However, I can safely say that one doesn’t need to be biased to know that “Inception” may be one of the most important movies to come out of Hollywood. And that Christopher Nolan is a director to watch out for (that is, if you are not already doing so).

In a world where multiple people sharing a single dream is a reality, Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) specializes in extracting information from a sleeping person’s brain for money. A fugitive who cannot return home to his children, Cobb gets a chance to earn his freedom when a powerful businessman Saito (Ken Watanabe) hires him to do the impossible – putting an idea into his business rival’s (Cillian Murphy) subconscious mind, viz. inception of an idea. For this, Cobb must assemble a specialist team, consisting of his right hand man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), “forger” Eames (Tom Hardy) who can shift his identity in a dream, chemist Yusuf (Dileep Rao) who produces the sedatives required to pull off the task at hand, and architect Ariadne (Ellen Page) who creates the elaborate structures where the dreams are played out. The team must pull out all the stops to accomplish the impossible, which is made all the more difficult by visits from Cobb’s dead wife Mal (Marion Cotillard), who tries to disrupt their mission. Saying anything more would be sacrilege, and I don’t think I could inflict such a crime on those who are yet to see the movie.

“Inception” is a movie that works on every level. It is a racy heist movie that still has great emotional depth – something that is extremely difficult and rare. With that alone, “Inception” won half the battle. Add to that the brilliant cinematography, the effective use (not overuse, thank God) of CGI, and the fearless use of grandeur to create the grand scale of dreams; and “Inception” becomes a visual masterpiece. Top it off with a stellar star cast who play their parts perfectly and you are presented with sheer movie magic.

But the star of the show is none other than Christopher Nolan. As the writer, he has created a story that is truly unique in its originality, level of detail and sheer “out of the box” concept. His screenplay ensures that the viewers are not just lazily absorbing the movie – that they are active participants in the elaborate puzzle that is “Inception”. As the director, he creates a work of art that uses every aspect of film making to its optimum level to ensure that viewers are rewarded with an experience that is unlike anything they would have experienced before. He truly deserves all the accolades that this movie will undoubtedly bring him.

Usually, I find it difficult to rate movies and prefer to avoid it. But this one is a no-brainer. Five stars and two big thumbs up for the work of art that is “Inception”.