Christopher Nolan is making news with the people he hired for his next film. It’s going to be epic, even with Robert Pattinson starring alongside John David Washington. So, let’s talk about the man who would become a household name, beginning with Memento all the way to Dunkirk.

Nolan has given us some of the best pieces of modern cinema we have ever seen, and with each film he creates, he finds a fresh way to bend our mind. There was no film that does it better than his smashing 2010 hit Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and Michael Caine. Even after rewatching this movie for the fifth time, it stays fresh in my head and finds new ways to bend my mind.

Does it do that for you too?

Summary

Inception is–as simple as I can put it–a film about dreaming and creating a new reality inside the dream. Leonardo’s character, Cobb, is an expert thief with the ability to pass through dreams and steal secrets.

When it seems like life for Cobb can’t get worse, he is given one more chance at freedom. He needs to assemble a team that is going to do the impossible, infiltrating a person’s mind and trying to put an idea into a man’s head, which is the act of “Inception”.

Now this was only done once by Cobb, but caused his life to take a downward spiral into the “Limbo.” a place of no return. The impossible task is plant an idea in someone’s mind, but a trained veteran gets in his way. If you have never seen this movie, this plot sounds like the most outrageous plot in the history of cinema, and you are right. This plot should not have been pulled off, and couldn’t… except this is Christopher Nolan.

The Good

Inception does so many things right that it is hard to just channel on a few. The acting was on par with every single person who appeared on screen. The ensemble cast truly perfected the role they were tasked to bring to life. Although there is no Oscar-worthy performances, even by Leo himself, but combined it was so good and truly drove the story.

From Tom Hardy to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, everyone did their part and it was awesome to watch. Regardless the actor, when someone shows up on screen, you knew they were about to nail their part. No one really went the extra mile and wow me (besides DiCaprio) but they did just enough to make this whole film completely entertaining and amazing to watch.

Another element to this film was the outstanding score, it wouldn’t be a Nolan movie without the mastermind himself in Nolan’s corner–Hans Zimmer. He executed the score perfectly, that I dare say may be his best yet.

Each scene was enhanced by the amazing score, melting each scene together so perfectly. When you have the acting capability of Leonardo DiCaprio propelling each scene, and add this wonderful score in the background, movie watching can’t get much better than that. Even as I’m writing this, I am listening to Hans’ soundtrack in the background, because it was just so good.

Ultimately, the best part of the film was the storytelling and plot. We get a story so thrilling and emotional that it should not be possible to even put it those kind of twists into a movie, but Nolan did.

You are never once bored watching this movie, even nine years later and watching it for the fifth time, I am still fully engaged. The way Nolan blends the action and emotional aspects of the film are perfect. To me, each time you watch this film, you are able to connect and get something different out of it.

You can watch it for the first time and be completely mind f***ed; a second time and see a love story; a third time and see an amazing action thriller. You get the point.

This isn’t something that I can say about movies a lot, but Inception literally does it all and damn good. The best part about the movie is the re-watch-ability (it’s a word) that this film holds. Every single time is different. It’s the little details picked up every time, from the limbo to the totems, and even small things like Cobb’s ring.

These details just drive the story. Each one makes the overall story something different each time. Even after my fifth time watching this movie, I still don’t know what the end is, and that’s what makes it beautiful. I will watch it again, probably pick up on something different and come up with a different ending in my head.

The Bad

While I think this movie was practically flawless, there were some minor slip-ups that other people don’t like as much. It is hard to follow, really hard at points. They go from dream to reality so fast you can get lost and it makes your mind work overtime.

While I love a film that makes me work, they usually are some of the best films I’ve ever seen. Others don’t enjoy them as much. I can see why someone might not want to work during a movie, but the more you watch it the more things you see and begin to appreciate what Nolan did as a director and storyteller. Another is the pacing at points they went from point A to point C, skipping over how or why they are doing this.

Inception is also one of the rare films that could benefit from a longer run time even three hours would be ideal. Nolan would be able to explain more of the hows and whys of the film, and with a concept this complex he barley touched the surface on what he could dive into with the art of Inception.

The Decision

Overall, I think Inception is a modern work of art with some of the best writing, visuals, and storytelling ever seen in a movie. The cast just blends so good together and sell this idea of Inception and dream stealing that you think it’s almost real. To come up with an idea like that and then execute it is just outright surreal, and almost dreamlike that we got a finished product like this.

Like I said, before you can watch Inception one time but its a movie that truly benefits from multiple viewings. The visuals and CGI in this movie are also breathtaking something that looks so stunning and beautiful. Each scene just leaves you in awe, the scene with the street folding may be one of the best scene in modern cinema.

Inception is a true masterpiece something that only comes around once in a blue moon or in your dreams. You can ask yourself, How could the guy who made The Dark Knight top that? You may be looking at it with this movie, which comes full circle in the end. The movie not only stands the test of time, but I think eternity and it truly may be ahead of its time. It makes you think, and when your done watching it ask yourself, Are you still dreaming? 

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Overall

10/10

“A Cinematic Masterpiece that only Nolan could pull off”

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