Inception

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Writer/Director Christopher Nolan’s Inception is a state of the art techno-thriller and his magnum opus. The CGI and special effects are worth every million spent to enhance them. The concept behind the processes of extraction and inception are clever, philosophically inspiring, and semi-original. Unfortunately, the cinematography and the effects are the whole show. The acting is more of a distraction that prevents the viewer from completely submersing himself in the plot and the glorious background images. When imagining Nolan’s special effects think of Dante’s Purgatorio except with no conclusive definition of what is supposed to be a dreamscape and what is supposed to be a nightmare.

To perform an extraction is to retrieve a subject’s innermost secrets. This could involve purloining, intellectual theft or industrial sabotage. The possibilities are endless. Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are masters of extraction. When they are commissioned to deliver on an inception the game becomes far more interesting. An inception is the implantation of an idea that germinates in the subconscious and eventually consumes a person as though it is their original thought. This is supposed to be impossible. Impossible is more like improbable with DiCaprio and his architects of dreams. Master manipulators strike when a victim is unsuspecting, vulnerable, and unaware to distinguish an intrusion from an overactive dream.

Cobb (DiCaprio) and Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are hired by Saito (Ken Watanabe) to perform inception on Robert Fischer, Jr. (Cilliian Murphy). Fischer has just inherited a multi-billion dollar enterprise from his father. Having spent his entire life attempting to placate his father by following in his footsteps, he receives an odious brush-off in his dad’s final hour. Fischer senior calls him a disappointment. Tadashi’s chooses Fischer Jr. as the chosen subject for an experimental inception. The idea that will expectedly proliferate like a cancer and consume Fischer, Jr.’s mind is that he should fragment his father’s vast empire and choose his own path in life.

The reason why inception is so difficult if not nearly impossible is that in order to truly consume a person/subject the idea must seem like their own. There needs to be an entire dream world created to consume the person when they are unconscious. This is where the architect Ariadne (Ellen Page) is needed. Her ability to create inescapable mazes and death-defying scenery is what will convince Fischer his dream is not a forgery. Any inkling of suspicion and the whole plan will go up in smoke.

While assembling a team and making preparations for sequestering Fischer long enough to enter and control his mind, it is discovered that Cobb is having inimical visits from his deceased wife (Marion Cotillard). She is haunting his dreams so to speak. He has recreated her in his dreams in a desperate attempt to preserve her forever. His sense of guilt (that will be explained during the latter half of the film) causes her to interfere with his ability to influence extraction and inception subjects. This endangers the entire team and causes even more mayhem. Their relationship is intended to be supremely romantic, to transcend both time and space.

Inception to many will seem like a mind-blowing film that will forever change cinema. Christopher Nolan has proven many times that he is a luminary in the special effects business. Nobody frames a storyline cinematographically better than he does. However, one cannot help but notice the actors are more of a distraction from the fantastic images than they are contributors. It seems as though DiCaprio may have been the most brilliant young actor in film history but his adult career has been pock-marked with boring films and rigid performances. The chemistry between husband (DiCaprio) and wife (Cotillard) is borderline uninspired. It is really not there. They are not a good match in their level of talent or commitment. I love watching Leo onscreen as he will forever be a favorite of mine. Yet, I feel as though a Keanu Reeves, or a Pierce Brosnan could have stolen the show and made the picture more intimate. All criticisms aside, I have no doubt Inception will be lauded and received by the public as a tour de force, perhaps even as the best film of the year. It has ever ingredient necessary to be great. There is nothing left to the imagination and everything imaginable has been included. Even the ending offers a teasing philosophical cliffhanger. I believe Inception is a visionary film but I really never enjoyed it.

Jonathan Jacobs

Member FFCC

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