Movie Review: ‘INCEPTION’

Listen, before you get your panties in a twist and cry foul because I’m reviewing a non-horror film, let it be known that DESTROY THE BRAIN covers all films of the fantastique (see what I did there?  I’m fancy).  It is also my belief that the majority of horror fans don’t just watch horror films, sometimes like to venture out.  I also think that most of the people who come to DESTROY THE BRAIN do want to see INCEPTION.  So, if you want to know more about the flick, read on…

Christopher Nolan caught my attention plus the attention of many with his film Memento. Ever since that film, I have liked and purchased all of his films on DVD.  When I heard that he had been working on Inception for a decade, I figured this would be his most personal film.  I have seen this before with careers.  Directors/writers will have a commercial success and then their next project will be something personal or be the film they really wanted to make.  Most of the time, that film…the one they really wanted to make, fails.

Christopher Nolan weaves a story that demands your attention.  Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a dream extractor.  He basically will go into a dream and try to extract your deepest secrets to use for financial or corporate gain.  When contacted by a corporate giant named Saito (Ken Watanabe) to try to plant an idea in a competor’s brain so that person would sabotage their company and Saito can dominate it.

Honestly, to tell you more about the film will ruin it.  So, I’m going to try my best to not do that.  This review is purposely vague as I want everyone to experience this film with a blank slate.  If you saw the teaser, trailer, or even some of the TV Spots, that is fine.  But please, don’t read too many reviews.

I saw this Tuesday night and I’m still processing it.  Remember the advertising campaign for Memento?  I believe the quote was “SEE IT TWICE”.  A lot of Nolan’s films build and solidify during their second viewing.  Yes, you get the basic idea of if you liked the film or not the first go around, but sometimes you might want some questions answered.  With Memento, you wanted to watch it again to see if the filmmaker missed anything only to find out that he meticulously put visual hints throughout the film.  Nolan was always a step ahead of the viewer.  Not just because he made the film and knows it beginning to end but he knows the people who will go back and view the film to nitpick and try to find a flaw.

Based off of the teaser trailer and the recent trailers, I kept hearing from the general public that this was going to be like The Matrix.  It’s not.  It’s better.  Even though I don’t think they should be lumped in the same sentence, for those of you who do, here is a comparison.  The Matrix is a McDonald’s Happy Meal purchased for an adult.  The toy is cool, but the overall feeling afterwards makes you want more, like you were not fed enough.  Inception is that steak dinner that you salivate for and pat your belly afterwards.

The cinematography by Wally Pfister is magnificent.  The cast is great, even Ellen Page does a decent job.  Everyone plays it straight and is restrained.  Tom Hardy’s Eames is humorous but doesn’t steal the show, which was something I worried about after seeing the trailer.

Let it be known that giving the rating that I’m about to give made me sit down and think hours and hours on how to knock it down a bit more, but I simply can’t.

Inception is amazing.
Inception is a must see.

It is the best film of the year so far and I just don’t think another film will come around like this one in a long time, especially this year.

I will be in the theater as soon as possible to see it again.  Believe the hype.