For my first-ever blog, I will be dissecting the movie a bit and tell you all what I will be posting from now on. Here we go.
Synopsis... Inception, at the core of it all, is your basic illegally involved protagonist plot: in order for him to be content with his life, he needs to reluctantly take on ONE last job in order to buy his freedom. In Cobb's case (Leo DiCaprio), to get back to his children. Cobb and his team steals ideas within the target's dream (extraction), but for their last impossible job, they must plant an idea (inception). Cue the shock music: Dun Dun Dun~!!
Cast... I couldn't ask for a better cast. DiCaprio has become so good at playing a self-tormented protagonists over the years (Departed, Shutter Island, The Island, even Romeo and Juliet), that he just nails this one. He is tormented once again by his past, the fuzzy future, and many, MANY regrets. Memories locked away in levels in his dreams, with completed set of emotionally charged ones of his dead wife (Marion Cotillard), not to mention his faceless kids doesn't help. His boy always digs for something. "... he's digging for worms or something..." (Cobb). Righhhhhttt.....
Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an Architect and the right-hand man, respectively, perform their roles so well that you forget that they are actors. The last time I had that happen was The Dark Knight, directed by the one and the same Christopher Nolan (I'll get to him later). Cillian Murphy I have liked since 28 Days Later and the honorable Samurai himself, Ken Watanabe finally showing the Hollywood audience that he indeed is an actor. Oh what? He had a big role in a different Hollywood movie before, depicting himself as a samurai? Oh, that turd of a movie The Last Samurai? Yeah, that doesn't count in my book. I will forever make fun of Mr. Watanabe for pronouncing the words "... perfek charry brossoms." But he was awesome in this movie. Fit the role flawlessly.
There are other dudes, the guy who provides the sedatives (Dileep Rao) and the always British Michael Cane. They are both great at portraying their respective characters and I will go on record saying that Michael Cane in all of Christopher Nolan movies have the same facial expression for all of his lines. Don't believe me? Go check it out.
Director... The great Chris Nolan. Also a Brit, I have always enjoyed his movies. Starting with Memento, if he made a movie, I went to see it. His ever-so-mega-popular Batman franchise is mind-blowing. I can't wait for the next one.
His attention to detail in Inception, however, makes him the greatest blockbuster director of my generation. Spielberg is old news... c'mon... did you or did you not see the fourth Indiana Jones. Watch the South Park episode on the matter. I felt the same exact way. Nolan pulls you in so well into the story and seamlessly takes you on a journey of this man Cobb that you forget 2 hours and 30 minutes has gone by the end credits. From the kids' clothing to the wedding ring that Cobb sometimes wear to the total mind-boggling special effects (not all CGI), tip of the hat to Mr. Nolan. Keep em coming.
Story... Ridiculously entertaining. From start to finish, engaging and compelling. Without giving too much away, the action scenes were out of this world, thanks to the special effects team that wanted to keep it out of the CGI world as much as possible to make it look real. Did you check out the opening action sequence taking place in Saito's dream? RIDIC. And what of that Call of Duty + Bond snow-shoot it up sequence? Still, all good.
Going away from the action scenes, the intricacies of human minds and the depths of the dream world is very original and refreshing. For a while I didn't think this was possible, because Hollywood just churned up movie after movie of craptastic remakes that does NOT do the original justice, and all of these 3D bullshinto.
Christopher Nolan really dissects and examines the basic emotions that really effects the human psyche; such as love, sorrows of death, regret, and the desire of one's acceptance from his own father. It is very interesting how Nolan showed all of it mostly in the dream world, away from reality, which could be interpreted in different ways. I also enjoyed the vulnerability of each characters in the dream world when their subconscious kicks in out of nowhere to mess with the plans. Want to know what some serious regrets will do to a man? Watch Cobb systematically torture himself into believing that the weight of the world, in both real and dream state is on his shoulders. Ouch.
What more can I say? I enjoyed all of it. It is very hard for me not to nic-pick on the movie a bit. It was damn near flawless. If you haven't seen it, YOU are what's wrong with America. Support this type of originality. Do it.
Side Note: I will be reviewing movies, and other stuff from now on.
K.
