Inception

Guest blogger Adam Batty kindly provides us with a hot of the press review of must see film Inception. Giving it  a five stars, we have the abridged version…check out his fantastic blog for this in full length and a whole lot more

I think that a great compliment to pay towards good science fiction is that it makes you question your own reality, which certainly could be said of Christopher Nolan’s latest film. His first release since 2008’s billion dollar taking Batman follow-up The Dark Knight, Inception sees the director back to the experimental ways of his breakthrough piece Memento, with a film that blows the mind in more ways than one.

“Inception tells the story of” would perhaps be the most inappropriate manner in which to start any summary of this film, as the detailed plot deserves to be left as concealed as possible prior to seeing the film. That being said though, the basic plot points are thus; Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) heads a team of ‘dream invaders’, who utilise technology to manipulate the dreams of their victims. From within the dream world, in which death will result in a mere awaking, secrets and information are stolen, something which places dream invading in a prime position within the world of corporate espionage. Cobb, who as a result of his place within this murky profession has lost everything, is offered the chance to redeem himself with one last job. Now, I’m fully aware of just how hokey the above description sounds, which is why I was so apprehensive about writing such a summary, but please trust me when I say that it works so much better in the context of the film than it sounds on the page. In fact, the best description of the film would be Nolan’s original tease that Inception was “A contemporary science fiction tale set within the architecture of the human mind” is all that one truly needs to know before heading out to see the film.

The cast of the film is second to none, with the film much more of an ensemble piece than the DiCaprio-centric marketing would have you believe. The supporting cast is headed by Joseph Gordon Levitt, in a turn which cements his growing reputation as a major star of the future. His Arthur, DiCaprio’s second in command holds the film together, while Ellen Page’s Ariadne, whom acts as the instigator towards Cobb’s catharsis finally sees Page come through on the promise of her long mooted-talent. Tom Hardy, as an identity controlling British invader is finally given the role that his potential deserves. The comedic double bill that ensues between Hardy and whomever he is placed with within a scene, be it Levitt, Cillian Murphy or Ken Watanabe results in pure cinema joy. He truly has a presence, and I look forward to seeing him build upon this role. Marion Cotillard is as endearing as ever as Cobb’s wife, with their relationship drawing the strongest emotionally responsive performance that I’ve ever actually seen from DiCaprio. But yes, for all intents and purposes this is DiCaprio’s film, and this performance seals his status as Hollywood’s top leading man of the year, having turned in outstanding performances earlier on this year with Shutter Island.

One of my most immediate thoughts with Inception was that it feels like Christopher Nolan has finally achieved his full potential. The sparkles of genius seen previously in his work all draw together to create his magnum opus. It’s an unusual thought, but I couldn’t help but feel that maybe the Batman films are holding him back somewhat. Please don’t get me wrong; I’m fully aware of how he’s pushed the boundaries within the superhero genre (I named Batman Begins as my fifth favourite film of the last decade), but I can’t help but think his talent may be best served elsewhere, on films that allow him to wholly push his vision; films like Inception. Although saying that, I’m as eager as anyone to see what he does with the next bat flick. Tradition may dictate that Nolan NEEDS these bat-punctuating films as a kind of leveler of sorts to proceed onwards with the next multi-million dollar batman epic, and it would certainly make sense, if one were to hold this film and The Prestige up next to one another.

Inception is a traditional blockbuster in the most base of manners (a fact which verges on the literal on several occasions). The combination of cutting-edge special effects, a high concept yet philosophically and politically aware plot, and a wonderful ensemble cast provide one of the most exciting and downright satisfying pieces of mainstream-straddling cinema this viewer has ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It’s the sort of film that makes you want to stand up and applaud at the end, an incredibly ambitious work that sees one of the world’s most competent filmmakers at the top of his game.

Note about Adam (we hope he becomes a regular film critic for us!)

Adam Batty runs the film website Hope Lies At 24 Frames Per Second and works for Leeds Film. He is currently putting the finishing touches to his MA in Film Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, and has a particular interest in the European cinema of the 1960s, especially the work of Jean-Luc Godard, as well as the manner in which the cinema is changing in the wake of the digital media