Inception

Grade: E
Title: Inception (2010)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Notable Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page (and about a dozen others).


This past Sunday my delightful parents took me to see Inception. My mother enjoyed it, but my dad thought a more fitting title would have been Insipid. Obviously, I agreed more with my mom. I thought it was an intriguing movie, finding particular pleasure in the focus and attempt to understand the characters.


Of course, the obvious concept that Nolan was using is at least as old as Plato (see Cave) and has been an idea that has fascinated people for centuries (from Berkley's notable ideas to the more recent Matrix). Personally, I have always enjoyed the question of what is true and happening versus what we have merely perceived to be reality. I also love the questions about how memory and memories are what we live off of. We place so much confidence in our memories, when we might be more prudent not to. This is just the kind of idea Nolan focuses on in his other film, which I also thoroughly enjoyed, Memento.


Naturally, I did not find Inception flawless. There are some issues within the plot itself ( i.e. how his children didn't age or how the father appeared to reside in Paris, but was waiting for his son in L.A. among numerous other things - both of these and any other hole might be answered by the ambiguous end of the movie, which left the end to interpretation).


The most problematic issue I found was the pacing and length of the film. While I was enthralled and I wanted to see fulfillment for all the plot points, it dragged at times. I fear this is an issue that Nolan might need to guard against within himself because he seemed to struggle the same way with Dark Knight where he didn't end one of his plot points at the right place.


As I mentioned before, despite the flaws this movie possess, I believe the film is beautiful and made me really care about the characters from Cobb's relationship to his wife


to the poor man they were planting the idea in and his relationship with his father and god father. The movie made me want to look deeper into those around me. We all have our secret depths and pains that we bury or hide but really want to show and heal because, as Inception noted, positive emotions are what we seek - we all yearn for reconciliation.


I didn't find the plot "too complex" as I have heard it condemned nor boring as a friend reported. Instead, I was pleased with how Inception directed my thoughts and helped me to look beyond myself into another person's mind and subconscious. Until next time; go enjoy some art!