Friday, July 16, 2010

Movie Review: Inception

Christopher Nolan is the best filmmaker on the planet.

"Inception," one of the year's most highly-anticipated movies, is finally here and it will blow your mind. This multifaceted labyrinth deals with alternate realities, such as a dream within a dream, and delivers in every aspect. It's action is thrilling. The settings are aesthetically breathtaking. The main character's back story is emotionally powerful. And it is incredibly witty throughout.

After being snubbed for his masterful direction in 2008's "The Dark Knight," Nolan should be in line to win his first Academy Award. "Inception" is the clear front-runner for Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Cobb, who penetrates the minds of others to steal ideas, or even plant new ones. His carefully nuanced performance is on par with Nolan's ambitions, and he is the perfect fit. And that can also be said about the rest of the cast. Rarely does one find a film where there are zero acting flaws. This is one of them. Academy Award winners Michael Caine and Marion Cotillard and Oscar-nominee Ellen Page give superb performances, as do co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy.

"Inception" contains many plot staples of traditional heist movies, which allows the audience to follow what would otherwise be confusing sequences. And that is what sets this apart from others in the same genre. Since Nolan explores the topic of subconscious realities, it has drawn comparisons to "The Matrix." This film trounces "The Matrix." The storytelling excels in a way the Wachowski siblings' trilogy never will. It works on multiple layers, taking us into different worlds each time with stunning visuals to match. Plus, everything is explained in the story, not just all tied together at the end, and the audience can then enter Nolan's mind to fully understand each aspect.

Nolan burst on the scene with 2000's psychological thriller "Memento," during which he came up with this story and worked on the screenplay for nearly a decade. He previously directed "Batman Begins" and "The Prestige" and continues to consistently produce exceptional films.

Grade: A+

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