Inception - OSCARS here we come!!!

Inception

Director – Christopher Nolan

Starring – Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe,
Cillian Murphy, and Michael Cain

MPAA - Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action throughout.

WOW. This single phrase encompasses everything I felt about watching Inception. I walked into the theater expecting to see the best film of the year and I walked out having seen the best film of the year. I have watched other great films this year, but I have yet to see a movie this good that was released this year. Inception is a completely original masterpiece. It is film-making at its best. I already dread the Oscars when this brilliant and captivating piece will be passed over for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Cinematography by films not even half as good.

My writing teacher told me to choose words for their precise definitions. Masterpiece for instance means: an outstanding work of art or craft; the greatest work of an artist; something superlative of its kind. I am not misusing this word when I call “Inception” a masterpiece.



First it is an outstanding work of art. This is the kind of movie I live to see. Not only is the plot engaging and original, it is also a nail-biting thriller. The movie combines gun-fighting, fist-a-cuffs, and mind-blowing special effects with an intricate plot that captures the imagination. I have a wild imagination, but in my most bizarre dreams I could not conceive of a film so flawlessly put together.
This is a film about entering people’s dreams and stealing their ideas; a notion that is impossible. Leonardo DiCaprio leads a team of specialized mind probers into the psyche of businesses’ elite taking corporate espionage to a new level. The Matrix-esque idea is original and intriguing. Since “The Matrix” no other film has stretched the mind the way “Inception” does.

While “Inception” is an exceptional example of movie making, it is also the greatest work yet seen by Christopher Nolan. This film was 10 years in the making and is worth every second poured into it. Christopher Nolan surprised us all with the brilliantly intricate film “Memento”. This film was so interesting because we see it played out backwards. I had to watch this film three or four times before I understood what was happening. “Memento” however is only the foreshadowing of what “Inception” is.



“Inception” starts somewhere towards the end of the middle of the story, then jumps to the beginning. The characters in “Inception” frequently move from different levels of dreams, dreams with in dreams you might say. And the plot moves that way too. For the first 30 minutes of the film we are not sure what part of the movie we are in, but slowly everything begins to make sense. Christopher Nolan truly outdoes himself with an intricate story line that plays out flawlessly, leaving no question unanswered.



For something to be superlative it must be of the highest possible excellence. This is the third definition of a masterpiece, and describes “Inception” well. These days it is almost impossible to find a movie that combines a flawless plot and good character development with first class special effects and almost constant action sequences. Somehow, amid the flying bullets and mind-bending CGI, there is still a deep plot and realistic characters. The one thing I have not mentioned is of course the acting, which is just as magnificent as every other aspect of the film. Inception truly has it all.

I cannot say enough about how good “Inception” is. The IMDB is currently giving it a 9.1 out of 10. I would venture to give this movie a 9.9 out of 10. Not only is this a brilliant film, but it is free of Hollywood’s obsession with splattering blood, shameless sexuality, street urchin profanity. This is a film so good I fear it will be passed over by the elitist Academy Awards, but we who go to the movies will know “Inception” to be a true masterpiece.



Sex/Nudity – 0 out of 10 – A husband and a wife kiss, a young man and woman kiss, there is slight cleavage exposes in one scene.

Violence/ Gore – 6 out of 10 – This movie is full of gun fighting and fist fights. There are a lot of explosions. Some people get stabbed and shot. All this however happens in a dream world where if you die you wake up. This does not however take the excitement out of the many death defying stunts and the edge-of-your-seat action sequences.

Profanity – 4 out of 10 – a total of 25 or maybe 30 profanities are used total. There are one or two S-words, a few religious exclamations, and a few mild obscenities.