Movie with Abe: Inception

Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Released July 16, 2010

Messing with the mind is a dangerous business. That’s doubly true for director Christopher Nolan’s latest film, “Inception,” which tinkers not only with the psyches of its characters but also pushes the mental capabilities of its audience to comprehend its extremely layered and complex plot. A major part of the experience of watching the film is deciphering its many mysteries and piecing together the pieces to form a cohesive and coherent whole, and there’s a feeling of satisfaction that comes with the eventual realization that the puzzle has been solved and the movie might actually make some sense, provided a viewer is up to and capable of completing the task.

Disregarding his two enormously popular Batman entries, “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight,” Christopher Nolan is known for films that take much of their run time to fully comprehend exactly what’s going on. That’s certainly true of Nolan’s breakout, Oscar-nominated 2001 film “Memento,” and also of his 2006 magician movie “The Prestige.” Unlike with M. Night Shyamalan’s films, audiences haven’t grown tired of the big reveals. Nolan’s newest film take things to a whole new level, compounding and confounding ideas in a way that initially seems impenetrable but slowly unravels to become more accessible. Nolan, who wrote and directed the film, goes for the fantastical and weaves an extraordinarily intricate and excessively engaging story to be deciphered by his audience.

“Inception” succeeds in many ways, and perhaps its best asset is its pacing. The 148-minute film doesn’t waste time building up and developing its plot; instead it features its main character on the run in a frantic and thrilling chase scene and then dives right in to the core story of the film. It’s a risky gamble that pays off, unless viewers are so dizzy and upset with their lack of comprehension. By the time the action really kicks into gear, however, things actually start making sense, and understanding what’s going on is just as exciting and fun as not having a clue.

The film is ultimately an extremely smart and well-developed science fiction film that invests just as much in characters as it does in story. An entertaining and impressive team of people are assembled to help Leonardo DiCaprio’s Cobb plan his expedition into a target’s mind to infiltrate his dreams. This colorful bunch includes a host of talented actors, including DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, and Ken Watanabe. Acting is hardly important in this film, yet having good actors on hand is always a positive. Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine are also present in crucial supporting roles, and the strong performances enhance the film considerably.

What makes “Inception” worthwhile in the end is the thrill ride on which it takes viewers for two and a half hours. Assembling it, both creatively and visually, must have been quite a feat, and taking it back apart as the audience gets a chance to unpack is equally mesmerizing and frustrating. The action will have science fiction fanatics and everyday moviegoers alike enthralled, and the effects and cinematography are dazzling. This is one very slick adventure ride that may have audiences scratching their heads but definitely won’t have them checking their watches.

B+