Inception
3.5/4
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action Throughout
Most big budget action movies are dumb fun at best, where the mind isn't exactly required to be used. Despite having a $160 million price tag, "Inception" is different. It doesn't just encourage thought; it demands it. Christopher Nolan's film was described as a contemporary sci-fi action thriller "set within the architecture of the mind." That hint is more descriptive than it seems to be for this puzzlebox of an action movie.
Cobb (DiCaprio) is a specialist of a unique kind. He is able to journey into people's minds and steal their secrets. Cobb is the best in the business, but an event from his past forced him to flee the US. Now, a businessman named Saito (Watanabe) is in need of his services, but there's a wrinkle: he doesn't want to know a rival's hidden knowledge; he wants Cobb to implant an idea into his rival that will cause him to dissolve his father's company. This is a next to impossible task, but Cobb has done it before. And, if Cobb does this, Saito will arrange for him to be allowed back home.
"Inception" is an endlessly complex and imaginative thriller that makes sense even though there are scenes where it doesn't seem to hold up (this is a movie that has to be seen a few times before everything becomes clear). There are dreams within dreams within dreams within dreams. As the director, Nolan is one of those circus performers spinning plates on sticks. In this case, he's spinning about a dozen of them, and there are times when it's clear that he's struggling to keep them all going.
One of Nolan's trademarks is being able to bring out strong performances from his cast members. Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor of great range, was Nolan's first and only choice for Cobb. His casting instincts were right on the money. DiCaprio is terrific at playing intelligent men who are not as together as they seem. Cobb knows what he's doing, but he's got some skeletons in the closet that are putting everyone at risk. Ellen Page, taking a break from indie features to star in a big budget movie fits right in. Ariadne, a college student that Cobb recruits, is our window into this (literal) maze. Ken Watanabe is also very good as the mysterious Saito. Marion Cotillard is terrific as Cobb's wife, Mal, appearing as alternately dangerous and sad. The rest of the cast provides solid support, although Tom Berenger's performance is flat (fortunately, he's only on screen for a short while).
The problem with the film is that it's at times difficult to keep track of all that is going on. Nolan's script is perhaps too ambitious for its own good. Toning down some of the subplots would have helped keep the confusion down. That being said, it's mostly confusing in hindsight; Nolan keeps things clear for each scene at hand. And, while it may be confusing at first, it's also clear that Nolan has established a set of rules and followed them (save for one minor, almost irrelevant, exception). And it's always better to try to do more than take the easy way out and do less.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action Throughout
Most big budget action movies are dumb fun at best, where the mind isn't exactly required to be used. Despite having a $160 million price tag, "Inception" is different. It doesn't just encourage thought; it demands it. Christopher Nolan's film was described as a contemporary sci-fi action thriller "set within the architecture of the mind." That hint is more descriptive than it seems to be for this puzzlebox of an action movie.
Cobb (DiCaprio) is a specialist of a unique kind. He is able to journey into people's minds and steal their secrets. Cobb is the best in the business, but an event from his past forced him to flee the US. Now, a businessman named Saito (Watanabe) is in need of his services, but there's a wrinkle: he doesn't want to know a rival's hidden knowledge; he wants Cobb to implant an idea into his rival that will cause him to dissolve his father's company. This is a next to impossible task, but Cobb has done it before. And, if Cobb does this, Saito will arrange for him to be allowed back home.
"Inception" is an endlessly complex and imaginative thriller that makes sense even though there are scenes where it doesn't seem to hold up (this is a movie that has to be seen a few times before everything becomes clear). There are dreams within dreams within dreams within dreams. As the director, Nolan is one of those circus performers spinning plates on sticks. In this case, he's spinning about a dozen of them, and there are times when it's clear that he's struggling to keep them all going.
One of Nolan's trademarks is being able to bring out strong performances from his cast members. Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor of great range, was Nolan's first and only choice for Cobb. His casting instincts were right on the money. DiCaprio is terrific at playing intelligent men who are not as together as they seem. Cobb knows what he's doing, but he's got some skeletons in the closet that are putting everyone at risk. Ellen Page, taking a break from indie features to star in a big budget movie fits right in. Ariadne, a college student that Cobb recruits, is our window into this (literal) maze. Ken Watanabe is also very good as the mysterious Saito. Marion Cotillard is terrific as Cobb's wife, Mal, appearing as alternately dangerous and sad. The rest of the cast provides solid support, although Tom Berenger's performance is flat (fortunately, he's only on screen for a short while).
The problem with the film is that it's at times difficult to keep track of all that is going on. Nolan's script is perhaps too ambitious for its own good. Toning down some of the subplots would have helped keep the confusion down. That being said, it's mostly confusing in hindsight; Nolan keeps things clear for each scene at hand. And, while it may be confusing at first, it's also clear that Nolan has established a set of rules and followed them (save for one minor, almost irrelevant, exception). And it's always better to try to do more than take the easy way out and do less.
Comments
Post a Comment