2010
12A
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The next review in our modern classics series is Christopher Nolan's 2010 release Inception. Now it's no surprise that Amateur Reviews are a huge fan of this director's work so it seemed like high time to justify some of this immense adoration with a modern classics review. Pretty certain alot of you will have already watched this film so if you fancy leaving your opinion, it's very much appreciated. Here we go...
“True inspiration is impossible to fake”. But what if that was not
the case? If we said “Don’t think about elephants” we’re fairly certain you
just thought of elephants. How could you claim that was your own idea when you
know you were given it? Well, imagine if, when you were fast asleep, someone could
delve far enough into your subconscious and plant a thought so deep that the
real origin of the idea is no longer detectable. Due to Nolan’s iron curtain of
secrecy, you probably knew as much about this film as you did astrophysics before going into see it, but
there lies the central feature of Christopher Nolan’s offering.
If there’s one thing ‘The Matrix’ did for us, apart
from bringing back leather, is that it gave way to a whole new genre of sci-fi.
The type that makes you question your very existence. And although Inception is similar in that sense – it’s
refreshingly original and completely unique. Take note Michael Bay: this is how you make a Hollywood
Blockbuster.
Ten
years ago, the idea began to germinate in Nolan’s mind, not as the sci-fi heist
you’ve grow to know, but as a horror film. A decade on, we
have a knotty thriller that surpasses The Prestige and even, Nolan’s successful release, Memento. Following on from his supremely victorious
second instalment in the Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight, Nolan is a director
well and truly at the top of his game. Naturally, there was a certain amount of
trepidation surrounding the film, but rest assured, Inception did not
disappoint.
Make
no mistake, this is a proper film. Nolan has rejected fashionable 3D (thank
God) which often makes films feel dark, gimmicky and lacking in detail. He has
shunted ostentatious tracking shots and constant reliance on green screen in
order to make a film based on dreams feel surprisingly real. Together with cinematographer
Wally Pfister, who used a variety of frames to capture breath-taking landscapes
and claustrophobic close-ups, they have achieved the extraordinary. Shot in
IMAX with superb editing, flawless visual effects and Hans Zimmer’s epically intense
score makes for a ridiculously immersive viewing experience.
Aesthetically stunning, the plot flitters
between four layers of a dream. From the grimy, industrial city
level which Nolan gave his signature tough Gotham-look, to the corporate hotel
layer with its warm colour palette and soft lighting – it is easy to
differentiate between them. One minute you’re in Paris, the next Mombasa and
the third act transpires in a snow fortress which strongly resembles the
architecture of the Geisel Library at UCSD. The difference between this film
and the Bourne Trilogy is that you don’t find yourself suspending disbelief as
they trot across continents. Dreams mean no boundaries, no laws of physics and
plenty of creative licence.
Beneath
the films complex exterior, the occasional car chase and expertly placed
explosion lies a love story laced with redemption, grief and the inability to
let go of those who have left us. The core of the piece is anchored by our
protagonist
Cobb (DiCaprio) as the serious and introverted “Extractor” burdened with the
seemingly impossible task of planting an idea in someone’s mind. His sincere performance is the glue that holds the ensemble together. As one of his finest portrayals, it's hard to imagine anyone managing to encapsulate the depth and hidden turmoil faced by Cobb as impressively as DisCaprio.
Mimicking
a classic heist movie, Cobb wastes no time in quickly assembling a skilled team
with characters that complement each other with chemistry and spirit to rival
any strong ensemble cast. Ariadne (Page) as the young, quirky student is given
the role of replacement “Architect”, but not in the traditional sense. Niftily
taken from Greek mythology, her namesake was responsible for leading Theseus
out of the Minotaur’s maze and her character arc shares some uncanny parallelism
to our plot. Dileep Rao plays “Chemist”, funny-man and designated driver Yusuf,
named after the Prophet, gifted with the ability to interpret dreams. Good luck
to all the sceptics who like to pick at loop holes and flaws, because, unlike
The Prestige, you won’t find any. This movie is watertight.
Cobb’s
“Pointman” and sidekick is played by the indie-film staple Joseph Gordon-Levitt
who is a far cry
from his usual hopeless romantic. He instead exhibits some mind-bending stunts
and brings an element of Bond-style panache to the film. Cillian Murphy, one of
Nolan’s go-to actors,
is back as Robert Fischer, the sleek heir to energy giants Fischer Morrow and
the subject of the nail-biting assignment. His vulnerable and helpless
representation of Fischer shows an impressive amount of versatility and proves
there’s more to him and his protuberant blue eyes than the crazed Scarecrow from
Batman Begins. Oscar-winning Marion Cotillard takes on Cobb’s wife and tortured
soul, Mal, and provides a remarkable amount of grace and elegance to a male
dominated cast. Her name translated means ‘bad’ in both French and Spanish, but
of course that’s a coincidence… A stand-out performance comes from future
leading man material Tom Hardy. Virtually unrecognisable from the 2008 biopic
‘Bronson’, Hardy is the actor most starved of screen time, his roguish charm
and sarcastic disposition of the clandestine “Forger” Eames lights up scenes
with playful wit and effortless timing.
With
the backing of an international, A-list cast and one of the
best directors of recent years at the helm, Inception is a dream come true for
any studio and good on Warner Brothers for not padding it out and diluting the
smartness with incessant shooting. The complexity of Inception is not the flaw
that some reviews
are jumped on; it’s what makes it successful. For a film so intricate, it is
not overambitious because it would be all too easy to feel lost and left out. Nolan’s
tremendous narrative skill and trademark slight of hand keeps viewers on the
inside and guides them along as a member of the team. So when you see
Inception, which let’s be honest, you all probably have, be prepared to debate the
ending for the rest of forever. What Christopher Nolan has succeeded in creating
is an immensely intelligent film that challenges the audience but isn’t self
indulgent and non-accessible. Inception is outstanding and quite frankly,
bloody genius. Just don’t fall asleep in the middle of it – or else you could
be waking up with some “radical notions”.
