Inception

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A thief (Leonardo DiCaprio) takes a dangerous risk by agreeing to enter the dreams of a businessman (Cillian Murphy) to plant an idea in his subconscious- a process called Inception.

Review:

Tim: I thought quite a bit about what movie should be my 2,000th movie. I thought about going for a classic, or an unexpected one, but I ultimately chose Inception for a few reasons. Mainly, because this was my favorite movie of 2010. I thought this was an innovative, intelligent, thought-provoking, game-changing movie.

The main reason I loved this movie was because Christopher Nolan managed to create an intelligent, original movie that managed to break out in a big way. So many "blockbusters" rely on the lowest common denominator- trying to appeal to the widest possible audience while not offending or frustrating anyone. That's a cowardly way to make a movie. Nolan took a concept that was extremely complex and created a movie with the belief that the audience was intelligent enough to follow along and not get lost. He didn't pander or simplify the film for the sake of "stupid" American audiences. I love that he did that. Movies can be entertaining while still challenging us, and Inception does a fantastic job of proving that point.

The movie blends that amazing initial premise with an incredible cast and some of the most impressive scenes I've seen in a long, long time. I'll never forget that long, slow-motion fall of the van into the river. The gravity-defying fight scenes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt are among my favorite scenes of all time. They were stunning. The ice fortress battle sequences were amazing in a very James Bond-ish way. And of course, the controversial, brilliant ending. This movie blew me away.

The cast was amazing. I loved Leonardo DiCaprio. I've completely turned around my thoughts on him- he's one of the best actors in Hollywood today. He's fantastic here. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a very good supporting actor. He worked very well with the rest of the cast, and was so enjoyable on screen. Ellen Page was an unexpected addition, but a brilliant one. She brought her youthful energy and her wisdom to the role. The rest of the cast, including Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, and Marion Cotillard were good, too.

Hollywood is a business that copies success. The copies are rarely even close to the original, but they try it anyway. I sincerely hope Inception inspires Hollywood to take more chances on challenging, complex, unconventional films. Playing it safe creates movies like Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. Movies shouldn't be safe- they should push the boundaries of our thinking. Inception represents why I love going to the movies.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Insomnia, The Dark Knight