Inception is a propulsive, original and mind-bending action/thriller/sci-fi/heist entertainment that has spawned a storm of comments on numerous blogs. Director Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight) spent 10 years developing this e-ticket ride -- and it shows.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a troubled, guilty guy (like in his last role in Shutter Island) who heads a team of industrial spies. They're pros at extracting secrets from people's dreams, but have never before successfully performed the opposite: planting the seed of an idea, called an inception. The stakes are huge: the success or dismemberment of two of the most powerful multinational corporations on the planet.

Retained by an intense tycoon (Ken Watanabe), Cobb assembles a crack team: Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt from (G.I. Joe and Third Rock from the Sun), Ariadne (Ellen Page from Juno and Whip It), Tom Hardy (Black Hawk Down, Seeney Todd, Band of Brothers), and Dileep Rao (Avatar).


Not only is an inception considered to be unproven, dangerous and unstable, but events are complicated by the spectre of Com's wife (Oscar winner Marion Cotillard from Nine and Public Enemies).

There's a great scene when Cobb and Ariadne are sitting at a Parisian cafe; a thrilling action sequence on the streets of New York City (as good as the street chase in The Dark Knight), which was a tour de force; and a brilliant fight with Arthur in a hotel corridor.


Inception is complicated, intense and fast. Don't see it if you're tired; it demands concentration and attention. And it's not without flaws: an extended alpine sequence is disappointing, the score by Hans Zimmer is way too loud and relentlessly pounding -- especially in an IMAX theatre with 70 speakers), and Ellen Page lacks the gravitas of the others actors, who include Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins), Tom Berenger (Training Day, Platoon, The Big Chill) and Pete Postlethwaite (Clash of the Titans, The Usual Suspects) -- all in unfortunately tiny roles.

But it's another epic piece of filmmaking (especially in IMAX) in the brilliant career of Chris Nolan, who's now in pre-production on his third Batman movie. Want more Nolan? See Al Pacino, Robin Williams, and Hilary Swank in Insomnia, set in Alaska; Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlet Johansson, Michael Caine, and David Bowie in The Prestige, and Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie Anne-Moss in Memento.


One of the fun aspects of Inception is that it's open to varying interpretations. This may sound heretical in the age of flamingly hyper-opinionated and self-righteous bloggers, but it's actually ok to express your own view and allow a friend, significant other, coworker, critic or blogger to express a different interpretation. It's called a democracy -- the free and open exchange of ideas. Listening with respect may not be the style of partisan politics these days, but hey -- most of us here aren't politicians!

For example, people differ about an essential aspect of the movie that would be a spoiler to reveal here. And there's controversy regarding the great last shot, which is edited so that the conclusion is open to discussion. That's what we want in a good movie for sentient beings -- thinking about it afterward, rather than an experience that's instantly disposable and forgettable.

So in another summer filled with sequels and remakes (The A-Team, Sex and the City 2, Predators, Eclipse, The Karate Kid), it's exciting to have something as fresh and mind-bending as Inception.

Keep 'em coming, Mr. Nolan.


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