INCEPTION: the puzzle box blockbuster

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Posted By Peter Tyler Reel F/X

Posted 1 month ago

Inception is a visceral mind bending, action thriller that penetrates the mind and hits the intellectual G-spot.

Writer-Director Christopher Nolan's intriguingly intense follow up to the much be-loved Batman Sequel, The Dark Knight (aka TDK), is an original concept, like Avatar, not based on a previously existing intellectual property.

That's exactly what Warner Brothers did. In Nolan they trusted, giving him Carte Blanche to create whatever film his dense imagination demanded he conjure. And in this blockbuster season dubbed by many a summer drought, Inception is a welcome Oasis.

I cannot recall another film with a price tag of an estimated$160 million (add another $100 million for marketing) taking such bold narrative risks in trusting the intelligence of the audience and delivering such a personal story on an epic canvas.

At its core Inception is a thorough examination of dream thief Dom Cobb's (Leonardo DiCaprio) labyrinthine mind and the guilt he bears over the passing of his wife, Mal (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard).

But it's also a science fiction neo-noir corporate espionage heist film, with shades of James Bond and the Matrix. Every part as methodically constructed as Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey.

That isn't to say the film is flawless. No film is. The most consistent criticism leveled at Nolan's two Batman films has been how he handles action. This is the first time, however, where I'd agree that the action is occasionally muddled. In general I prefer technique favoring clean staging and clear scene geography so that the viewer always has a sense of space. Nolan tends toward more subjective and chaotic staging and I respect his decision, but don't think it's always successful.

That said there are some satisfyingly sublime sequences throughout the film including an already lauded zero gravity fight that takes place in a hotel hallway that'll leave all but the most cynical with their jaws hanging wondering how the hell they pulled it off.

The other main hurdle audiences must leap is the complexity of the narrative and the many interweaving story threads often heavy in exposition about the psychology of dreams and how Cobb and his team of dream thieves maneuver through the multiple layers of a victims (the target) mind.

Take the opening of the film, for example, where the film drops you in the middle of a dream heist and although we're supposed to be a bit disoriented by what's going on (sort of like an actual dream) the film trusts the audience to pay attention and keep up. Pee breaks are out of the question and I doubt kids under the age of 13 will find much to grasp onto with Inception dealing in far more adult themes then the Naïve, straight-forward tale offered up in Avatar.

But if you can manage these caveats the film pays off in every way it can, hence the intense word-of-mouth, "it's mindblowing."

And beyond being an engaging piece of entertainment, Inception is a clever commentary on Nolan's creative process in dreaming up visions for others to absorb via the cinematic experience. It examines how we, the audience, come to perceive fictional characters in a fictional universe as real despite the fact that none of it is —very postmodern. Nolan's "kick" to awaken the audience from this cinematic trip at the end of the film is also extremely clever, but the shock of it lets the experience of the film and how it relates to our own personal realities linger on long after the credits roll.

A definite must see, many will need to see it again, especially if you're tired Hollywood clichés.

Now playing at the Leduc and Wetaskiwin Cinema.