I finally watched Inception on Friday and can safely say that I love this movie. If this movie were a meal, it would be a delicious, perfectly seasoned, medium-rare filet mignon. I’m generally pretty negative when it comes to judging movies. But with Inception, I could not find any major flaws nor mock-worthy material. The movie didn’t leave me wanting more. No, it left me completely satisfied.
If you haven’t seen Inception yet, do everything you can to avoid reading spoilers and run to your closest theater. I’ve done my best to keep spoilers to a minimum below. If your friends, family, or coworkers start talking about their theories, plug your ears and shout ‘la la la la.’ You owe it to yourself to watch this film unspoiled.
The movie is simultaneously an audacious heist movie, a sci-fi mindbender, a psychological drama, and an action movie. Normally, when a movie tries to incorporate too many ideas and influences, , it loses its identity and flounders. But here, it succeeds by building them into the internal logic of the movie: dream levels.
If you’ve seen the trailers, you probably think the movie is about a guy who can enter dreams and steal ideas. You probably think the movie involves a Paris cafe exploding and a city folding on itself. Tom Hardy fires a grenade launcher. Joseph Gordon-Levitt fights in a hotel hallway. You would be very wrong. The trailer showcases a tiny fraction of a much deeper story. For once, the marketing department has done its job: show you how cool a movie is without giving away anything.
I’ve heard a lot of people complain that the movie was confusing. I agree that the storyline was complex. You not only have to keep track of time and space, but chronology as well. But I definitely wouldn’t say it was confusing. David Lynch movies are confusing. This was more like watching someone write a very long equation and then shaking up the variables.
In fact, I felt the entire first half of the film functioned brilliantly as a walkthrough of the movie’s rules precisely so the second half would not be confusing. Ellen Page’s character asks enough questions on behalf of the audience so that we always understand what’s going on. Would you be confused by a jigsaw puzzle? No. It’s challenging to put together. But you know the basic rules. Similarly, Inception has its own rules and sticks to them. It is one of the most finely crafted movies I’ve watched.
What about the movie itself?
Joseph Gordon-Levitt steals this movie, period. He plays the coolest character, has the best lines, has the best fight scene, and even gets to steal a kiss from Ellen Page’s character. Cobra Commander aside, I’ve always felt Gordon-Levitt has been flying under the radar in his post-3rd Rock career and has been picking his roles a little too carefully. But I’m hoping Inception will be a breakout role. Dude is talented. Character in the next Batman movie? I hope so.
Favorite scene with Gordon-Levitt? It would have to be the totem explanation. Such a simple scene, but played so well. So much of the movie ultimately hinges on the logic established in that scene too. Don’t worry if you have no idea what I’m talking about. See the movie.
I also really loved Cillian Murphy, not only because he’s a great actor but because his character is so interesting. He plays Robert Fischer, Jr., the son of a dying businessman who stands to inherit everything. The main characters are trying to implant an idea in his head to achieve something that I don’t want to give away. Fischer is both wonderfully naive and fiendishly complex. You know there’s a lot going on underneath the surface. But he hides it behind a mask of composure and sorrow. Murphy pulls it off masterfully.
Two really great Murphy scenes come to mind. The first takes place in a certain bathroom with a certain gun. It’s something I would totally do if I were in his shoes. But sitting in the theater, my hands started sweating and I was gritting my teeth. I don’t think I’ve been so emotionally invested in a scene like that one. I was literally shouting to the screen, “Don’t do it!” The second scene involves Fischer discovering a certain sentimental object. After watching Murphy as the Scarecrow in Batman Begins, I wanted to punch him. But here, I felt genuinely bad. Really bad. I think deep down everyone wishes their parents… I’ve said too much already. Spoiler interception!
As for the scariest character? Mal. Maria from Silent Hill 2 is a saint compared to Mal. Marion Cotillard is an Academy Award winner for a reason.
And the music. Oh the music. Hans Zimmer’s horns and strings add so much to this movie. It frames the gun battles. It empowers the street chase. It adds depth and danger to the car chase. It warps to fit every level of the dream world. It utterly defines limbo. The track ‘Old Souls’ sounds like something Akira Yamaoka would write. Bleak. Desolate. Utterly heartbreaking.
Some people have been asking me what my interpretation is of the ending. I’ll hold off on explaining in too much detail because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t watched the movie yet. But my take is that it stopped. Not only that but it was a red herring. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, good. Go watch the movie and sound off below!
