Rare is the opportunity to live something groundbreaking. Rarer still is finding that moment in contemporary film. Last winter, we all lived James Cameron’s vision of utopia with his sprawling 3-D epic “Avatar,” the earth-shattering effects all appearing courtesy of the DaVinci-esque mind of Cameron and his technical creations. The opportunity has availed itself again, and its name is “Inception.”
Leonardo DiCaprio leads an immensely talented cast in a movie that deftly straddles the line between science fiction and dramatic thriller. This can be attributed to two things: that cast and director/writer Christopher Nolan. Nolan is known for the psychological thriller “Memento” and for resurrecting the “Batman” franchise. With “Inception,” he has entered a realm inhabited by a very select few. Names such as Scorsese, Burton and, dare we say, Spielberg come to mind. The story alone is dazzlingly ingenious, but when one factors in the jaw-dropping effects, eye-popping panoramic shots and an insanely talented cast of inspired actors, it is simply astonishing.
The premise of “Inception” involves the stealing of thoughts from the minds of others. This is handled in a manner reminiscent of the “Ocean’s Eleven” gang. DiCaprio plays Cobb, the leader of a team of mental mercenaries available to the highest bidder. While this all sounds simplistic and straightforward enough, you must factor in the defenses put into place by individuals desirous of keeping their thoughts private, as well as the very unstable world of dreams.
In order to access the mind of an individual, the team must first gain access to the individual. Once sedated, they all connect to that individual via cable running from a centralized computer. The team proceeds through the layers of the mind in search of whatever nugget of information is desired. The catch is that while searching, the host mind is trying to be rid of the memories in a manner consistent with the body’s white blood cells. Only these white blood cells are highly trained troops, or mobs of enraged inhabitants of the host’s dreams. The host’s mind seems to become unstable the longer intruders remain there. Its defense mechanism is the enraged mobs, who become violent toward the intruders, leading to a scenario where mobs roam the streets in search of the team. Nolan deserves an Oscar for creating without suffering an aneurysm.
Cobb is a complex character and handled superbly by DiCaprio. Joseph Gordon-Levitt watches his stock rise with his performance as Cobb’s right-hand man Arthur. But aside from the glorious cast are the effects, all the amazing cutting-edge effects. Not since “The Matrix” has vertigo-inducing action been glimpsed that can even rival the work done here. There simply are not strong enough adjectives to impart the feeling. At times, it borders on surreal.
One has to feel for Nolan. Where does he go from here? While that question is somewhat rhetorical, as he is getting to work on the third “Batman” installment, it does give one pause for thought — how do you top your masterwork? One can suppose that in Nolan’s mind this is not the highest level he can achieve, thus the spark for even greater moments of genius may be waiting in the dark recesses of an obviously brilliant mind. But speculation is best left to soothsayers and reality-show psychics. One undeniable truth stands firm, and that is the simple fact that “Inception” is pure genius and an absolute joy to experience. And no matter what Nolan’s future may hold, one should revel in the now.
Rating: W W W W 1/2
