Warning: Slight spoilers ahead
Last weekend, I watched possibly one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen in my life for the first time. Because of this, I obviously had to write a blog to express my love for this amazing movie that I have heard so much about yet have never witnessed with my own eyes until now.
Inception is a 2010 science fiction action movie written co-produced and directed by Christopher Nolan of Memento and the Dark Knight Trilogy fame. Being a fan of his Batman films, I was sure that I would enjoy Inception but I was unaware just how much I would enjoy Inception.
Upon further observation, Inception is basically your average heist movie. Our protagonists are hired to pull off a special job with high stakes. As one might predict, the heist plan that is carefully crafted by the smartest mind in the group doesn’t exactly go according to plan but through the various struggles of the operation, our protagonists ultimately succeed in their job and live happily ever after.
Or at least, so we are meant to believe…
Where Inception truly shines is in the way it completely breaks the mould of what a heist movie and an action movie should be. A brilliant example of this is that the heist plan is in fact not to steal something at all but to break into someone else’s mind and place an idea within their head whilst they are dreaming.
Despite being an action movie, Inception is by no means simple mindless fun. It is sophisticated and treats its audience as intelligent individuals. The ‘dream science’ of the film is presented to both to a member of the main cast and the audience at the same time and we are left, as the film goes on, to piece together. Admittedly, the mechanics of dreams explored in the movie are fairly confusing at times but this only lends credence to the themes of illusion and reality that are brought up during the film. The question of what is a dream and what is reality constantly resurface over the course of the film and in the end, we are given a choice on whether or not the main character has escaped to reality or whether he is trapped eternally inside a dream version of reality. In this way, Inception is a film that pushes the imagination of the viewer and tests their perception of the world. Admittedly, some viewers may not like this but I, for one, enjoyed the complex tone to Inception.
Another unusual thing that I personally enjoyed about Inception is that technically, the main character, Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is his own worst enemy. It is the memory of his wife, the symbol of his main regret in life, which serves as our main antagonist, giving true meaning to the term ‘Inner Conflict’ and allowing us to see the deep connection between Cobb and his late wife. The other characters involved in the movie are all likable, even the mark who was targeted for the job (played by Cillian Murphy), which was a nice change of pace from other action/heist movies where it appears the mark is always irredeemably evil. The action in Inception is entertaining and the visuals are simply astounding.
In conclusion, Inception is a true gem of a movie. I understand that it may not be for everyone, considering its very complex nature but I enjoyed it and it has now become one of my personal favourite movies.
justashadowonthewall 