Inception

A few months ago I watching television and I fell asleep and started to dream. In my dream I couldn’t breathe and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy was trying to save me. As my breathing became more labored I started thrashing around trying to catch a breath. I jerked so violently that I woke myself up and then quickly realized that I was having an asthma attack. Someone had swept up some long standing debris outside of my bedroom window and I was having a severe allergic reaction to the mold and mildew. I rushed to the kitchen and grabbed an emergency inhaler. My subconscious had saved my life.

Inception is a complicated drama that explores the mind of man by entering his dreams. Leonardo Di Caprio (Titanic) plays the leader of an espionage team that invades the dream life of corporate executives and steals their company secrets. As more companies become aware that the act of Inception is possible, they begin to guard against it by training their minds to resist intrusion. Di Caprio’s team then has to get more creative in order to fool these executives and trick them by using a combination of psychology, extensive research, intricate planning and chemistry.

Di Caprio’s team consists of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Tom Hardy (Bronson), Dileep Rao (Avatar), and Ellen Page (Juno). Since each one of these people will be sharing the same dream they must have an exact plan containing fail-safes, totems, psychological cues, and a full understanding of each other’s fears and phobias. It is a lot to keep track of and you really have to pay attention or you will get lost.

Inception is not so complicated that you won’t understand it, but there are so many levels that if you don’t stay focused you could get mixed up. Often in the film when the characters were not talking I would find myself engrossed in a scene, tripping out at some bizarre visual and then I would have to remind myself to pay attention. This is definitely a film worth a second viewing. It is so rich and complex that I’m sure that a second look would reveal even more layers. It is inevitable that there is a lot I didn’t see.

Because Inception is so complex I can’t say that it is a fun movie. Watching it is hard work because there is so much to remember. But it is visually stunning and completely fascinating. The performances are excellent and Marion Cotillard (Nine) is particularly haunting. Marion plays Di Caprio’s dead wife. Through Di Caprio’s subconscious she keeps entering the dreams and sabotaging their objectives. The rest of the team is trying to help him keep her at bay, but his guilt over her death gives her much power. We have little control over our subconscious.

Ken Wantanabe (The Last Samurai) plays a Japanese businessman who hires the team to invade Cillian Murphy’s (The Dark Knight) dreams to destabilize his company. Murphy’s father, Pete Postlewaite (Clash of the Titians) is near death and Murphy will inherit the company. The team plans to drive a wedge between him and his father who already have a strained relationship. But instead of stealing an idea, they must plant one. This is something that has yet to be done.

At the beginning of the film, Di Caprio goes to his father-in law, Michael Caine (Children of Men) to recruit Ellen Page. During her vetting interview to see if she has the talents necessary for this line of work she is asked, “Do you like mazes?” Well that is the question I will ask you. If you like puzzles, and mazes you will probably love this film. If you appreciate intricate, mind-blowing visuals, you will too. But if you are easily confused or have difficultly focusing, this film may leave you behind. This is not an easy film to enjoy, but it is worth the effort. It will occupy your mind long after you have left the theatre.

Rating: First Run Do you like mazes?