There are movies you like and then there are movies you like. So how does one judge a movie? What are the defining characteristics of a good movie, whatever the genre? Of course it should be emotionally engaging; we should feel for the characters and have an empathetic attachment to what s going on on the screen but it should be cerebrally stimulating as well. It is very rarely that a flick is so effective in the second department that it messes with your brain and alters your entire mode of thinking. True to its imdb review “Christopher Nolan's mind-bending, intelligent, exciting and disturbing sci-fi extravaganza, blends the best of traditional and modern filmmaking.”
I watched the movie on the day of its release, and again today with a few other friends, and I found it extremely intriguing. I found myself mulling over the different plot points of the movie and arguing with my friend DJ over our theories about the ending, and different details of the story in general .We were so obsessed with the whole notion conveyed by the movie and all its complexities,and constructed elaborate theories for some of those bothering questions we’ve been having since 16 July. However I don’t expect even a third viewing will be sufficient to nail things down. Besides,its so baffling and ambiguous that different people may have conflicting and contradicting opinions, just like we interpret our dreams.
Leonardo de Caprio plays Dom Cobb an extractor specialized navigating people’s minds, and stealing information from deep within their subconscious. He is assisted by his point man Arthur, who does background research on his subjects .They offer freelance espionage (well it is implied) to any client wealthy enough to pay for it, for which, he is wanted by most of the law enforcement agencies on the planet and he’s constantly on the run. When his most recent job turns out to be a failure, he’s offered a chance at redemption, if he s able to perform the perhaps impossible act of "inception”. He assembles a team and starts working on an exceptionally complex, multilayered dreamscape where they plan to place their subject and plant an initial seed of a subconscious thought that will eventually grow to a major, conscious decision that he would not otherwise make. What follows is a wild head trip, through this visually spectacular, labyrinthian world embellished with such ravishing detail all painfully constructed by Nolan. When things go wrong,the team has to deal with several issues, not the least of which is Cobb’s own disturbed subconscious.I cannot risk revealing more of the plot without spoiling it for those who haven’t watched the movie yet.
Though conceptually similar to an earlier movie “Shutter Island” which also starred De Caprio, however “Inception” is much more complex, exploring the idea of “dream within a dream”. The plot is so intensely composite but the director expertly gets the characters to stand around explaining the complexities of the plot at regular intervals,so that each and any unanswered question the audience may think of is answered. For such a complex plot the movie is coherent, and paced to perfection that we are always there right in the middle of everything. It is also very visually outstanding, without resorting to 3d or too much CGI. At one point when an entire cityscape folded in on itself the audience was left dumbfounded with awe. The movie also boasts of a stellar cast, but they do little to progress the plot, and there are moments when they are just standing around occupying screen space. The camera work is impeccable as the movie moves on to its latter half and we delve much deeper into the characters’ subconscious, with action occurring at multiple levels simultaneously. The score isn’t Zimmer’s best work, yet it gives us a sense of anticipation.
Bottom line? With “Inception” Nolan establishes himself as the foremost mainstream moviemaker of Hollywood. Despite it being an impossibly audacious concept, Nolan manages to pull it off with ease. Yet there is one thing he fails to provide us, and that is closure. Like most other Nolan movies the audience is kept guessing. As the ending credits roll no one knows for sure whether he’s still dreaming or not. Give us closure, Christopher Nolan , our subconscious yearns for it !!
Rating: 9.5/10..
