‘Inception’ – 2010
On the heels of what should have been a fairly big worldwide opening last week for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” I wanted to take us back exactly 10 years ago when “Inception” was first released in theaters. Possibly his greatest achievement to date, “Inception” is one of those films you don’t forget about. Whether that’s because it messed with your head or because it simply just looked cool, it’s hard to compare anything else to it. Unless of course you start looking at some of Nolan’s other films, but either way, he does not get the recognition he deserves. I might be biased, but the journey this man takes you on within his films is unlike anything else. Simply shaping a story that follows some order is almost impossible, so to then build in all the characters and action sequences requires a lot of talent. So while we wait for “Tenet” to hit theaters in the proper way, why not look back at a film that quite frankly takes you to another world, something we all need right about now.
Without giving away too much, “Inception” follows more of an idea than actual hard facts, but does so moving in and out of dream sequences that will make your mind go numb. And it’s within these dreams you find a host of characters all at the will of Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who’s job was to go into a victim’s head and manipulate their dreams and projections. And by doing so, Cobb would steal dreams directly from the victim’s subconscious, a process he mastered along with Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to attract big corporate clients. This practice would enable him and his team to share dreams and build a greater base when some impossible job landed on their doorstep, like the one brought to them by Saito (Ken Watanabe), a CEO of one of the world’s top energy companies. Wanting to take down a rival company, Saito was no stranger to the business at which Cobb and Arthur specialized in, going as far as to surprising them within one of their own ‘dreams’ with his own request. It was then this entire story took a turn into the unknown, crossing reality and dreams as if they were one, defining a whole new world that will have you in awe by the time the credits roll.
It’s not often a film’s ‘look’ can overshadow the cast, but that’s precisely what happens when taking a peak at “Inception.” And even after seeing it for I don’t know, the eleventh time, I still get caught up rehashing the story and forgetting about the cast, which actually did one heck of a job. In fact, when looking back, it’s some of the best chemistry I have ever seen, which was impressive given the depth of the story they were acting in. And at the helm was Leonardo DiCaprio, who never fails to show the wide range of talent he possesses each and every time he steps into focus on the big screen. There’s nothing this guy can’t do, which his Oscar for “The Revenant” a few years ago proved. Yet looking back, I almost think he deserved more praise for this role, as he really was able to carry the weight of this story inside and out. Supporting DiCaprio was a host of great talent, all playing intricate roles within the well-crafted script written by Christopher Nolan. And although I won’t mention them all, just know the performances’ turned in by Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard was some of the best Nolan has ever had for any single film.
Anyone that thinks there’s no place in Hollywood for thrillers like this, clearly you have not seen all of Christopher Nolan’s films. Metaphorically speaking or not, this writer/director/producer knows what it takes to truly take your mind, body and soul on a trip and do it in style. Forget the amazing work he did in rebuilding the “Batman” franchise and just focus in on his so-called “other” films like “Memento,” “Insomnia,” “The Prestige” and “Inception.” For some, outside of “Inception,” this is the first time seeing or hearing about Nolan’s previous films without “Batman” or “The Dark Knight” in the title. For everyone else, you might have heard or seen at least one of them. But either way, not one of these films was praised in the way it probably deserved to be, a common denominator when it comes to this genre in Hollywood.
The essence that sets “Inception” apart from other films isn’t so much the incredible visuals, as much as the story that accompanies it. Knowing this single idea had been in Nolan’s head for the better part of 10 years makes sense when you start to dig down into all the layers within this film. Just the amount of detail put into it is amazing as nothing seemed to be out of place within the dreams or reality. This played a big part into why it was so easy to “let-go” while this story takes you in and out of a state of trance, all under a series of dreams that will have you paralyzed until the incredible score stops playing. So while we wait for his next feature film to be released, why not go back and watch one that truly stands on its own as one of his best to date?
A+