Inception (2010) 7/10
Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) leads a team of dream extractors, who use cutting edge medical technology to manipulate shared dreams. The team is hired to attempt “inception”—creating, rather than extracting, an idea. But Cobb is haunted in dreams by the presence of his late wife (Marion Cotillard), endangering the team. Written & directed by Christopher Nolan.
There is no question that Inception is a would-have-could-have-should-have movie. It screams from unrealized potential. At the same time, it’s smart, beautiful, and enjoyable. Arthur and I have been talking about it for a week, and that’s a lot of engagement for one movie.
What Inception does right is commit fully to its concept. Yes, it’s exposition-heavy, but it grips its dream reality with two hands and doesn’t let go. This is a smart, well-made movie by a master of movie logistics. It doesn’t falter in its delivery of Chris Nolan’s theme, the theme of all of his films: A haunted man struggling with the unreality of a life transfixed by grief. Whether that haunted man is struggling with memory loss or insomnia, whether he’s Batman or a magician, Nolan’s motif is pretty clear, if not always successful.
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