INCEPTION

There are not many studios, directors or actors that we can depend upon these days to always put out quality material. Pixar used to be the only one that came to mind but this past weekend I was reminded of one blaring omission I was making, director Christopher Nolan.

Ever since “Memento”, every film Nolan has directed has not been without considerable creativity and effort. Even his comic book adaptations (“Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight”) have been groundbreaking pieces of cinema. He doesn’t take any easy ways out or use any cheap gimmicks. “Inception” is his most ambitious project to date and without a doubt, also his most successful. Nolan has been working on this script for over 10 years and has used his experience from making his other films, to properly prepare himself for this undertaking.

“Inception” is really a heist film at its core. What makes this one different is that it is centered around the world of dreams. Now, it is best to go into this film knowing as little as possible, so I will not really be writing a synopsis in this review. What I can tell you is that there is not one aspect to this film that I would call weak. If anything, some of the acting performances could have been stronger, knowing the capability of the cast, but none were so bad that they were a distraction.

Leonardo DiCaprio was solid but I would have loved to see a bit more mystery from his character. He had a tendency to overexplain what was happening. Ellen Page held her own as her character serves as the guide for the audience. Joseph Gordon-Levitt definitely looks dapper the entire film but I wish his performance was just as smooth. I love all three of those actors but they were all upstaged by one tremendous performance. It was from a British actor named Tom Hardy. Hardy’s breakout role was in a movie called “Bronson” from a couple years ago. Keep your eye on this actor because he has a very strong future.

Visually, this film is breathtaking. Similar to “The Dark Knight”, Nolan uses the camera perfectly to allow the audience to immerse themselves in this world. This is particularly vital since much of the story takes place in the dream world. He uses aerial shots to overview the scene and his gorgeous setting of the camera depending upon the situation is awe-inspiring. If anything, the visual landscape could have been a bit grittier at times, much like “Memento”, but my guess is that the studio wouldn’t allow that for such a big picture.

The running time is around 2 and 1/2 hours but you would never know it. You are sucked in from the beginning and you do not want to leave the ride. At the screening I attended, you could feel the connection the audience had with the film and when it ended, there was a pause and then a huge ovation. I have never felt a buzz from a group of people like I did while leaving this movie.

“Inception”, along with “Winter’s Bone” (a film I’ll write about soon), are the clear best pictures of the year so far. In my opinion, they are two of the best from the last 10 years. In many ways, “Inception” is the perfect movie. It is creative, beautiful, exciting, smart, intense and accessible. This is an example of why I love film. It is also an example of why I am not ok with movies like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”. Just because a movie has a huge budget, a lot of explosions, or based on a comic book, it doesn’t mean it can just be mindless and lazy. Nolan knows this and I believe his goal is to prove that fact with every film he does.

Needless to say, if you see any movie in the theater this year, you must go see “Inception”. I realize I have raised expectations here but I have never believed in a film being able to exceed those expectations more. Christopher Nolan is the best director working today and after I see this movie several more times, my countdown will begin to his next film.