Summer Review #1 -- Inception

Inception (2010) -- Having created brainteasers like Memento and The Prestige, as well as re-invented the Batman franchise in the classiest way possible, filmmaker Christopher Nolan returns with a phantasmagorical foray into the human mind, the gorgeously engaging riddle that is Inception.

**THIS REVIEW CONTAINS HUGE SPOILERS**

Dominic Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a skilled extractor, entering dreams to obtain information that competitive corporations would kill for. After he and his team accidentally botch a job, their target (Ken Watanabe) gives them another chance -- instead of extracting, they are supposed to implant an idea into the mind of his rival's heir (Cillian Murphy). However, things start getting complicated as soon as Cobb and his colleagues enter the new terrain...

When it comes to truly innovative concepts, they can often prove overwhelming for filmmakers that are not yet well versed in the virtual poetry of cinema. To name an example, I wanted to love the 2007 anesthesia awareness tale Awake, but found it frustrating in its lack of logic and forceful with its often unnecessary twists. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Christopher Nolan is fully aware of his idea's potential, exploring its reaches and allowing it to flourish within its gradual evolution, while never letting the human players fade into the background of the visual landscape and never, ever using cheap techniques to buy the audience's emotions. Influences of iconic works such as Metropolis and Blade Runner are present throughout, echoes of their momentum moving like shadows among the chimeras and obsessions possessing our protagonists. The captivating special effects, uniquely beautiful in their anti-gravity choreography, complement the nuanced and original story without overshadowing the narrative or oversaturating the context for even a second.

One of the most interesting aspects of Inception are the principal characters' names, which happen to be just as important to the tale and its symbolism as the protagonists themselves. The usage of the name Dominic -- a variant of the name Dominick, which means "Lord" -- is rather ironic, considering Cobb's inability to create new realms in the only world where he can find solace. In ancient Greek mythology, Ariadne had a pivotal role in killing the evil Minotaur inside the Cretan Labyrinth, while Mal signifies "evil" in French; the genius dream architect that Cobb hires and his deceased wife act out their respective parts to perfection. What starts as predestined interplay among the trio threatens to turn into a dance of death or a dance to the death... we never know. The triangle is central to the film's conflict of soul versus reality and weaves into the rest of the story as such, what with Cobb's inner demons threatening to tear apart the fabric of the illusion that his team has entered and, in doing that, inadvertently destroy their lives.

The subtle performances match the soulful rhythm of the screenplay. DiCaprio delves into fragile mysteries as Cobb, a man without a country or seemingly any other earthly associations; still, it is Marion Cotillard, with expressive eyes and a voice that can barely contain Mal's starved pain, that carries through the main emotional undertones of the piece. Ellen Page shows paradoxically edgy ingenue colors as Ariadne; Murphy is thoroughly engaging as industrialist heir Robert Fischer, a man haunted by his father's demands; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy provide occasional cool comic relief as Cobb's team members.

Inception is a feast for the eyes and the brain. It is one of those rare films that never underestimate the audience, those films that rely on story exploration and intellectually charged aesthetics to convey the layered surprises and genuine emotion. Simply put, there is nothing like it. In its darkly eloquent elegance, Inception is the cinematic equivalent of a symphony, a masterpiece that weaves its magic into one's mind and does not let go, much like the idea it revolves around.

10/10