It lives up to the hype

With a trailer like that I would expect Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure to be mind blowingly awesome. But because the movie is 21 years old and I have seen it many a time I know a lot better than that (Not to say I don’t like it, it is totally a classic, but you know what I mean).

With Inception the movie lives up to the hype set by the trailer. It is epic, mind mending, and simply amazing. It is what you would expect but in the very best sense. I know you have probably already read a million other reviews saying pretty much the same thing but I am not agreeing with them to go along with the crowd. I wouldn’t benefit from that and neither would you. The movie is simply good. And not good compared to the crap that is out there. It is simply good.

I don’t know how to put the plot of this story into simple words. IMDB does it best I think:

In a world where technology exists to enter the human mind through dream invasion, a highly skilled thief is given a final chance at redemption which involves executing his toughest job till date, Inception.

That seems simple enough but there is so much more to the movie. There is a subplot about a dead wife sabotaging missions, saving a mind lost in limbo, and new beginnings. There is a lot of dialogue in the movie that explains its complicated concepts but it won’t make much sense for me to explain to you. It is one of those things you have to see unfold before your eyes and there will be a much better understanding.

There are many people who say Inception is too complicated to completely get. I don’t think that is true. It is complicated but if you pay attention and follow the twists and turns it should become quite clear.

The visuals in the movie were just awesome. Some of them are present in the trailer; the city folding back on itself; explosions; a city crumbling into the ocean. Yes, alone the visuals are beautiful but how they are integrated into the movie to complete the story is what makes them truly awe inspiring. As you watch you are transported into the dreams and your mind works to make sense of the strangeness in these seemingly “normal” spaces.

Christopher Nolan is staying true to his form. He is known for making movies that have both an amazing story and stunning visuals. He knows how to balance the two creating a beautiful world with complex characters. But he doesn’t just lay the whole thing out for you. He presents this beautiful twisted maze and leaves you clues to follow. If you decipher the clues and make it to the end you are truly rewarded.

Without giving anything away I have to make a comment about the end of the film. It is one of the best endings to a movie out there. It is a cliff-hanger that doesn’t allude to another movie or abruptly ends in an awkward manner, it is just perfect. At first I was angry that he didn’t answer one of the fundamental questions in the movie but after I realized that if he did it would have ruined the rest of the film. Until you see the movie this will not make sense but the ending is ambiguous and that was the ideal diplomatic conclusion. If he went one way it would have been a total copout cheapening what came before it. And if he went the other way it would have made the rest of the movie pointless. It makes you hold your breath and gives Inception the epicness it deserves.

The acting is what completes this masterpiece. If the actors could not be believed then the rest of the story would have fallen apart and it easily could have become a farce. Leonardo DiCaprio was amazing as usual. No matter what the role he always manages to put everything into it. And with a supporting cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt who is quickly becoming an A-list celebrity and rightfully so, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard it really couldn’t have gone too wrong. All the roles were well casted and no-one seemed out of place.

Inception is definitely a movie to be seen in theatres or in IMAX or the biggest screen you can find. You don’t want to lose the details in the imagery that helps to transport you into this other world.

Tra